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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27610651">Emily's Story</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansApplegate/pseuds/HansApplegate'>HansApplegate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>40K - Fandom, Halo, Original Work, Star Trek, Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Starship Troopers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:22:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,826</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27610651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansApplegate/pseuds/HansApplegate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily wakes up to the sound of Alarms from her Cryo-vat. Her ship is under attack. She knew when she volunteered to be the imprint for the Federation's first cloning program she might wake up in a new clone body or be the one to return home to a normal life. Even still, she didn't expect to wake up in the middle of a battle.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Origninal story will elements from the tagged fandoms. <br/>Star Trek, Starship Troopers, Star Wars, Halo, 40k</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Beep...Beep...Beep...Boooop...Click...Clunk...Hisssssss</p>
<p>"Welcome to the F.S.S. Budapest, W14.22-T302." A feminine voice greeted with the sounds of alarms arguing with sirens in the background. "Here you will be known as T302 or Emily. This is your name randomly assigned to you at the time of cloning," the voice continued. A muffled tat tat tat tat tat reverberated through the walls of a corridor nearby: the sound of superheated plasma impacting metal alloy bulkheads. "I am the operating system aboard this vessel and will be assisting you-"</p>
<p>"Budapest!" interrupting the ship's computer, Emily grasped at the edges of her cryo vat chamber. "Is that weapons fire? And what is with the alarms!?"</p>
<p>"Please call me Pest. It is my nickname on this ship. And yes we are under attack and have been boarded by the enemy." Pest calmly replied, unfazed by the information she was dropping on a new 'hatchling'. "I suggest you get dressed, Emily, you don't want to fight naked, and take a plasma pistol as well. I will try to direct you to a mission-ready room to pick up a Vaccsuit, in case my hull is breached."</p>
<p>Emily grumbled as she sat up, "Hell of a time to wake up."</p>
<p>"Quite."</p>
<p>Emily hastily got out of her cryo vat and noticed four other females, all which looked strikingly similar to her, in various stages of getting used to standing and moving outside their cryo vat chambers as they wiggled into their one-piece crew suits. The suits were orange with high visibility double yellow stripes running up and down the arms and legs. These technician coveralls also had an elastic glow belt around the waist with a buckle in the front. The legs of the crew suits ended in black rubber boots that came to mid-calf height.</p>
<p>Judging from the thumping on the outer hull and the flickering lights, their ship was taking damage so she hoped that she could get to a Vaccsuit sooner rather than later. There was a mechanical clunking sound to Emily's right as she stumbled across the narrow room to the lockers and sat on a bench. Sitting down, she looked to the sound's source just in time to see 5 more cryo vats open up with a whoosh of stale frigid air being expelled into the compartment. She was shocked to see 5 identical females with shoulder-length raven hair blinking their way into wakefulness. Their hair framed high cheekbones and pronounced yet delicate jawlines. All of them had light blue eyes that slowly blinked awake. They were slim and muscular with near milk-white skin adorned with pink features.</p>
<p>"Pest, who are they?" Emily asked as she opened a locker with her number on it to retrieve her coveralls.</p>
<p>"They are pilots," Pest said to her, as a small speaker in each cryo vat welcomed each of the new hatchling pilots much the same way Emily was greeted to this world. Emily listened to each recording to learn their names as she wiggled the entropy out of her toes: P605 was Jill, P606 was Amy, P607 was Courtney, P608 was Samantha, P609 was Kara.</p>
<p>Emily looked at the nearest pilot and read her 'last 4' in the string of characters that was her I.D. There tattooed just a few inches below her collar bone above her left breast, 'P'605, denoting her pilot designation. This was Jill she was looking at. She let her eyes wander up just in time to inadvertently lock eyes with Jill as she was caught staring. Just then there was a heavy thud that shook everyone in the room to the floor with a deafening explosion. The sound was overshadowed by the force of the shockwave.</p>
<p>As the P models were spilled out of their Vats onto the floor, one of the other T model clones, T301, shouted at Pest. "Who is shooting at us?!" as she braced herself on a bench and stood back up again from the explosion.</p>
<p>"The ship is not currently taking fire T301 Veronica," Pest answered.</p>
<p>"What do you mean not taking fire?!" Shouted T303 in a worried voice. She had her coveralls on and zipped up with T303 Debbie printed on the left breast. The rest of the 10 clones stared at Pest's monitor mounted on the far bulkhead near the door.</p>
<p>"Those explosions are coming from inside the ship. The enemy boarding party brought charges with them."</p>
<p>Courtney was the first to ask what the P models were thinking. "Where the hell are the Cs at!?"</p>
<p>"By 'C' I assume you mean Combat clones. They have all been woken up prior to the enemy boarding. Most of them have been terminated in combat. The ones that remain are dwindling quickly. If you notice Cryo Vats 1-10 are already empty. They were C models and have joined the fight along with the C models already active on the ship. So have all the combat models from the other two cloning bays on board. The last of which was just taken out by that most recent explosion just moments ago. I am afraid you are all that is left."</p>
<p>'Combat clones?'' Emily thought to herself, 'How many different types of clones are there now?'</p>
<p>The 10 'hatchlings' looked around at each other for a moment before Samantha spoke up as she hefted a plasma rifle over her shoulder. "You heard her ladies! Let's get out there and die for the Federation!" Followed by cheers from the four other Ps, and a look of shock from Emily and her fellow T models.</p>
<p>"P608 Samantha, I strongly advise you to get your pilot suit on first. Then, by all means, die for the Federation. However, in the event you do make it off the ship you may want some protection from the elements. That is if you make it to the surface of Signa-4. Not to mention the vacuum of space and the claws of the Cyrealians."</p>
<p>"Oh so it's those bastards again," sneered Courtney as she stepped into her light grey pilot suit. It had thin black ceramic plates attached to the outside of it. All perfectly formed to fit the taller clones. One thing about clones and the issue of equipment is that one size really does fit all. And quite nicely too, thought Emily, as the tall perfectly built superwoman finished shimmying into her outfit.</p>
<p>"Those bastards indeed," retorted Pest.</p>
<p>At this time, the T clones stood there in absolute confusion. Their faces sparked a response from Courtney. "You don't know about the Cyrealian wars, do you? Not even an update download to your model."</p>
<p>"No, they don't. However, we are wasting time. Please get dressed and grab your weapons and a comm set. In each of your lockers, there is either a pistol or a rifle. You T models have the pistols. The communications set is in the dispenser on the wall next to my monitor. I will update each of you as you proceed with your mission for as long as I am able. You will also be able to communicate with each other with them. All channels are preprogrammed. Ps you know what to do, grab yours first. Ts take the small pill looking metal device. Place them in your ear, pointy end of the cone first. The larger soft end will form a seal holding it in place. Yes, there are two to a set. Right or left it doesn't matter. At least not for you at the moment." Pest instructed.</p>
<p>Something about what she had just heard sat weirdly with Emily. She remembered thinking this was likely. Well, not this exactly to be sure. However, she had been briefed and had expected to wake up and not recognize certain things. Of course, time would progress. She may not know the politicians leading the Federation, or need to learn a new system or two here and there. But Cyrealian wars? That sounded like a big thing. More than one big thing, she thought as she finished stepping into her 'space onesie', as she liked to call the technician coveralls. Calling her crew suit a 'Space Onesie' always made her smile. Her mind snapped back to the present rather quickly with a burst of weapons fire followed by a shrill shriek from outside the cloning bay door.</p>
<p>"Earpieces and weapons now." Commanded Pest.</p>
<p>"Right now?" said Emily sliding her arms into the sleeves of her space onesie.</p>
<p>"Right now right now!" Pest shouted back.</p>
<p>Without further ado, Emily zipped up the front of her onesie, grabbed a plasma pistol from her locker, and holstered it in a small holster hanging from her tight elastic high visibility utility belt. Then she stepped over to the comms 'dispenser' right below Pest's view screen and crew interface. Then she reached for a set of, well, little thingies. Space earplugs she smiled to herself as she looked at the first one before quickly putting it in her right ear. Then shifting her auburn hair, she installed her left comm piece.</p>
<p>Immediately she heard Pest say, "Yep I can talk to you through the space earplugs."</p>
<p>Emily quickly donned her crew cap. An orange and yellow baseball cap with her name and number printed on it. She pulled her hair through the open part of the back in a makeshift ponytail, "How did you know that I would call-"</p>
<p>"All of you T models call them space earplugs."</p>
<p>"Oh, I guess you know a lot about me then huh?"</p>
<p>"Everything in fact."</p>
<p>"Really!? If so what did I get for my-"</p>
<p>"Eighth birthday. A picture book about the first human settlements on Mars."</p>
<p>"...I..uh..wow ok"</p>
<p>"That is what first inspired you to be an explorer and join the Federation. And it is the most common challenge question asked by T model clones. Time to go open channel to all 10 of you now."</p>
<p>"Ok Ladies listen up!" Pest commanded to all of the clones now huddled at the door. "Ps you have the rifles and faster reflexes and your bodies and armor are sturdier. If we do this right we might just get a few of you across the hall. Once you get there I will give you further instructions. To get there is the task right now. One step at a time. The Cs are busy on different tasks I have them performing in other parts of the ship at the moment. There is a fire team that I will try to link you up with later. That leaves us in a pickle at the moment. There are three Cyrealian warriors at the end of the corridor waiting on their demolition team to get here to blow up this room. My last cloning bay. If you all exit one at a time there is no chance of any of you making it to the next room. So who wants to be a meat shield?"</p>
<p>Immediately all the Ps raised their hands, as the Ts stepped back.</p>
<p>"Ok Samantha you seemed the most eager earlier, you're up!" Samantha's sister P models slapped her back in congratulations and a little jealousy visible on their faces, as Pest continued. "When this door opens turn and face to your left and fire at the three Cyrealians til you get cut down by plasma fire. With any luck, you may kill one of them."</p>
<p>"Yes, ma'am!" was her immediate reply as she moved to the door.</p>
<p>"Not yet! Hold on. I have to provide a small distraction for them first so they don't see the door open. Otherwise, you won't even get out into the hall in one piece. I have a wounded T model at the junction of the next corridor over. When she walks around the corner they will turn to face her. That is when I, not you, will open the door. And the rest of you make a break for the door you see open to your right across the hall about 6 meters down the hall. With any luck I think about 7 of you will make it there."</p>
<p>Emily swallowed hard as her heart rate spiked. She felt as if she'd just woke up from laying down for a few moments in the Federation's civil affairs office. Now here she is at the ass-end of the galaxy about to get killed by a Cyrealian. What the hell is Cyrealian anyway! Well, she signed up for adventure. Now she has got it. If she ever runs into her original self she is going to give her a piece of her mind! Ok, calm down now, Emily thought to herself. She looked up and took a moment to read the other T model clones' names. T301 and T303 were Veronica and Debbie. She turned to see the two standing behind her. T304 Kaylee, and T305 Stacy. She smiled nervously at Kaylee who managed a weak smile back as they waited for Pest to give the signal.</p>
<p>"Now!" shouted Pest as the door opened and the end of the corridor erupted in weapons fire shooting away from them down another hallway. Like lightning, Samantha was out the door plasma rifle bleching forth an insane amount of fire for the rifles Emily was familiar with. And just like that. They were all in the hall sprinting at full tilt to the door they had just seen open 6 meters down the hall.</p>
<p>Within a few steps, the leggy P models were out in front of the 15cm shorter Emily and her sisters. Looking back over her shoulder Emily saw Samantha take several hits in rapid succession. Her grey suit with black form-fitting thin ceramic plates was no match for whatever the Cyrealians were shooting her with.</p>
<p>Samantha stood with a wide foot stance and leaned forward, firing her rifle at the enemy warriors as her body took a burst of fire. Starting from her left inner thigh and moving up her toned stomach and across her torso a line of 11 rounds caught her. Still, she fired until the final shot terminated her. Her throat taking a direct hit before the next round smashing through her face mask melted her severed head in its helmet. The headless body of Samantha dropped to its knees heavily as her rifle fired off a few more rounds into the floor in front of her before it clattered to the deck. Her body leaned and fell backward bent at the knees bent over the smoldering helmet that had landed behind her. Looking past the smoking torso of P608 laying chest up, Emily finally caught sight of a...OMG! What are those things!</p>
<p>Just then Kara pulled her into the door she almost ran past. She landed on the floor of the room and spun around to look as Kara raised her rifle and fired a return volley back at those giant scary bug monster things before quickly ducking back to cover. Veronica and Kaylee nearly tripped over Emily as she rolled to the left to make way for them as they rounded the corner into the room. At this new angle, she could see Debbie and Stacy nearing the safety of the room.</p>
<p>Just then Stacy's right arm took a hit between her shoulder and elbow and was instantly severed from her body. Her severed arm still clutching the pistol as it tumbled to the floor. She paused for just a moment, slowing down Debbie behind her. Kara pulled the wounded Stacy through the door just as Debbie took a hit to the middle of her back. Plasma burst from her chest as her face contorted in confusion. Debbie dropped her pistol as she slowed her run. As she arched her back and slowed down she took another round to the back of the head. Instantly a superheated bolt of plasma exited her forehead leaving a quarter-sized hole. Her body stopped running as she went cross-eyed. Her eyes rolled up as they crossed almost looking at the hole in the middle of her forehead, as her jaw went slack. Debbie leaned forward then face planted on the floor of the hallway 2 meters from safety as the door closed.</p>
<p>"Not bad. Two dead and one wounded." Pest said in a chipper voice.</p>
<p>The Ps all nodded in agreement as Stacy stared at her bloody stump of a right arm. Emily quickly asked Pest "Is there anything we can do to help Stacy? She is missing her F'ing arm!"</p>
<p>"Yes this happens to be a backup aid station," Pest said. "The main infirmary is two decks up and toward the bow of the ship. Unfortunately, we are going in the opposite direction. Not that it matters as I don't think you want to be aboard me very long anyway." On the other side of the 10 meters squared room, a light came on lighting up one of the few hospital beds lining the Med bay. "Over here. This bed is close to a laser cutter. Look in the cabinet on the wall. You need to seal her wound quickly if you want her to stay a member of the escape party."</p>
<p>Veronica helped Stacy to her feet with a worried look on her face. "How bad does it hurt? Are you OK?"</p>
<p>"Yeah? I am...somehow." Stacy replied, "Guess I am still pretty deep in shock."</p>
<p>"Well, you kinda are in a way," Pest interjected, cutting off Stacy "But that is by design. You should feel some numbness and be aware of your damage much like you humans describe sitting on a hand or foot wrong for too long."</p>
<p>"Yeah. That is what if feels like" Stacy responded.</p>
<p>"By design?" Asked Veronica "I thought I wasn't..er..a... we rather. Were not going to be augmented."</p>
<p>This drew a snicker from Amy before she added, "Never knew anyone had an option."</p>
<p>"You didn't." Said Pest "Well your base model did but you are so heavily altered and don't remember any of the lives of your genetic donors, but in keeping with cloning law, the Federation gained full permission in writing from your genetic donors before making your line of P-Delta type pilots. All of you Ps in this room and assigned to this ship are the 4th major model to go into full production."</p>
<p>"Cool." shrugged Amy like a vaguely interested teen before moving to provide security at the far doorway to the room."</p>
<p>"OK what now Pest?" interrupted Emily as she had found the medical laser and was standing over Stacy who was now laying on the bed.</p>
<p>"Let me show you" Pest lowered a display screen from the ceiling over the bed as Veronica, Emily, &amp; their patient Stacy looked at the screen wide-eyed. A tutorial began as the audio was broadcast directly to their "Space Ear Plugs" on a private channel as Pest began to instruct Kaylee and the P models about the route they would take out of the aid station and toward the rear of the ship. They would go through a series of side rooms staying away from the wide-open corridor for now. The goal was to get through to a mission gear locker and equip the T models with Vaccsuits for escape. And to grab some heavier weapons in the process.</p>
<p>Veronica held Stacy down as Emily began to cut away useless unsavable meat from the wound.</p>
<p>"You really don't have to do that." Said Stacy.</p>
<p>"Oh sorry," Responded Veronica.</p>
<p>"I am still amazed at how much this doesn't hurt. But I still don't like it at all and fear getting hurt! This is totally messing with my mind right now."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I bet it is!" Veronica responded "Here let's get the biogel ready. Wait where is the biogel?"</p>
<p>"Don't see any but we need it soon. I am just about finished with this wound." Emily added.</p>
<p>"Biogel was replaced with Biofoam about 45 years ago." Pest informed the clones mid-operation. "Look for the yellow cans with a red plus sign, and small red lettering around the base."</p>
<p>"Here it is found a whole drawer full of them! Wait. How long ago did they switch to biofoam?" Veronica asked drawing all the other's attention.</p>
<p>"45 years ago," Pest repeated flatly.</p>
<p>"Didn't know there was anything other than biofoam?" said Kara.</p>
<p>"Your type has only been in mass production for 3 years," Pest answered</p>
<p>"Annnnd?" Veronica said wanting an answer the question her and the other T's thought obvious at this point and desperately needed to know.</p>
<p>"And what?"</p>
<p>"How long have we been in...uh… mass production..or how long has it been since we sat in that chair?" Demanded Emily as her sisters stared at Pest's screen as it turned as if to look at them, with seeing but unfeeling sensors.</p>
<p>"75 years 4 months and 10 days in earth time."</p>
<p>The room fell silent for a few seconds as all the Ts processed how long it had been since they entered service. 75 years since she sat in that chair. 75 years since she had agreed to be the first. Well, the first made public anyway. There had been others. Test subjects before her to ensure that the program would warrant the investment of the Federation into this new way of crewing ships. She had decided, no competed against many others for this right. This honor she had worked so hard for. To be the first clone. The only one planned for at the time. She would live 10,000 lives in hundreds of ships through the coming few decades.</p>
<p>The Federation was weak and needed more young able-bodied people than The Federation of Human planets could supply after the wars of unification. Humanity had just found out that the Milky Way was a dangerous place for bipedal hominids. Other species often didn't look too fondly on these newcomers to the interstellar stage. After a few of humanity's Kingdoms had fallen, some wiped out, others enslaved or turned into livestock of their conquerors, a movement had started to bring everyone back to the fold. Earth would be the capital. The first 3 inner kingdoms formed the federation. The others fought. The young Federation was starting to recover from a civil war among all humans when it was attacked.</p>
<p>The Ya'Nar had waited till the humans were weak from killing each other, in the war for unification, before they struck. The peace treaty with the Ya'Nar had just been signed and the Federation was starting to rebuild, again, when she was just a little girl. She remembered her Dad talking about it at the dinner table. He was a veteran himself and worked in a shipyard. He had told her and her brothers about war on board a ship in deep space. He had told of fighting on different planets. He had talked often of the selfishness of those who would not play for the team, the human team unless it suited them. They put themselves and their families before the greater good. This galaxy was a big and dangerous place and humans had to put aside their differences and stick together. All people needed to put archaic prejudices aside in the face of annihilation. We were all in this together, like it or not. By your very birth, you owed it to every other human alive to do whatever you can in service to the rest of humanity. "Without selflessness, we could not survive as a species." He would say to them. It was his example and her memory of him, that had spurred her on at the academy, and to compete to be the first cloned cadet in humanity's time of need.</p>
<p>"I had no idea that they would still be using me," said Kaylee, bringing all her sisters back to reality.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I guess time flies when you don't exist." Emily quipped still thinking about her dad.</p>
<p>"How could you not have anticipated this eventuality when you volunteered," asked Pest sounding oddly curious for a ship AI.</p>
<p>"I guess there is a difference in hearing about something and thinking you are ready for it than actually living it." Said the wounded Stacy "Sometimes you cannot be ready for something no matter how much you study for or prepare for it. You know what I mean Pest?"</p>
<p>"No. In fact, I don't. To know is all and to not know is nothing. That is the difference between consciousness and oblivion. If you are not, then you know nothing. If you are then you know what you know, and no one can know everything. So you could say that you are what you know."</p>
<p>The four T clones looked at each other in 'knowing' confusion as they considered the logic of Pest.</p>
<p>"What I know right now is that a Cyrealian is about to break through the door you all just came from!" Pest informed them. "Quickly through this door!" She continued as she opened her door on the wall to the right of the door they had entered.</p>
<p>Courtney was the first one through the door. Followed by Amy and Kaylee as there came a thudding sound from the door they were trying to get away from. Veronica and Emily lifted Stacy and helped their wounded comrade to the door.</p>
<p>As they all piled through the door Pest commanded all of them to run to the other end of the locker room to through the next door as she opened it for them. Courtney and Amy were already there as the others tried to keep up. Kaylee made it in time to see Jill pick up the wounded Stacy and throw her over her shoulder and easily outpace her former helpers. Kara closed the door to the locker room and took up a ready stance with her rifle pointed at the door she just locked, as the rest of them fled down the long locker room to the showers at the other end.</p>
<p>Veronica and Emily were about 10 meters from relative safety when the door Kara was guarding, was ripped away suddenly. The lonely P clone shot off a quick burst of fire from her rifle that went straight over the Cyrelian as it rushed in low sprinting on all 22 legs. It quickly shot its two great pinchers forward and both of them snapped Kara around the waist and pulled her apart and threw her upper half over its left shoulder and lower half over its right shoulder back out the door she was guarding as it rose up to fire its two Plazma rifles. Everyone started to give covering fire to Emily and Veronica. Emily made it to the door and looked back to see Veronica was laying on the ground. Then the Pest closed the door sealing them in the showers and Veronica to her fate.</p>
<p>Everyone stood in silence in the dark shower room catching their breath. "She might be alive," Emily said first. Everyone looked at her. Pest responded "She was not hit fatally however I would lose any of you who attempted a futile rescue suicide. Therefore I will not allow it. I need every one of you T models left to make it to the engine room as alive as possible. Veronica simply didn't make it."</p>
<p>"So you are saying she is alive now?" Questioned Emily.</p>
<p>"I need the rest of you in the fight. The next room is a gear locker with some heavier weapons. Emily, you can stay and look through the porthole in the door and watch what happens if you like but everyone else goes to the gear locker to arm up with the weapons and kit I select for you."</p>
<p>With that, the door leading safely out of the other end of the showers opened. Everyone else trailed off into the gear locker as Emily stayed behind.</p>
<p>"Well do you want to see what the Federation has been fighting since you last existed? If not join the others and pick up your gear."</p>
<p>Emily thought hard about it for a moment. "I don't really want to see a fellow, me, die. However, I feel I should see what these things are and how they work."</p>
<p>"That is what makes you a good technician. Your need to know and see propelled you at the Academy to beat your peers for this job. You were selected for a reason and you know that you and your comrades are nothing but resources to the Federation now. You chose this and you and her are living and dying with that same choice you made all those years ago. If you see what happens you will understand the decisions I have made and understand the Federation at large."</p>
<p>Emily took a deep breath and stepped to the window. "Can they see me?"</p>
<p>"No. Their eyes have a hard time focusing through the glass and you are in a dark room looking into a lit room."</p>
<p>There Veronica was crawling towards the locked door as the Cyrealian who shot her slowly walked up to her. Behind it were two more Cyrelians. The one on the left was holding Kara's helmet and rifle in its two lower human-like limbs and had its Plasma rifles in its two upper human-like arms. The other Cyrelian on the right in the back simply followed and opened up the lockers two at a time as it walked passed. Emily noticed he was opening the lockers using his upper arm for the top lockers and his lower arm for the bottom lockers. Each of his 3 elbowed arms ended in a four-fingered hand. They looked like big centipedes walking on 22, two jointed legs. Their front ⅓ raised up to nearly 3 meters tall.</p>
<p>The one closest to Veronica unfolded his large pincher claws that had been tucked away folded onto his back like an insect on earth stowed its wings when not in use. It rotated the deadly crab pinchers forward around to the front and let go of the rifles with its two front upper hands. Letting the rifles hang at its side by their slings crisscrossing its body. Now with all four humanoid arms free and claws ready it snapped Veronica up. Using its pinchers it grabbed Veronica by her wrists as she let out a shriek. It lifted her in front of its mouth. Emily could see her lower left leg missing below the knee where she had been hit. This was the wound that kept her from making it to safety. The four, larger and stronger than a human's arms, of the Cyrelian wrapped around her. Each had 4 large fingers, 2 on either side of its palms. One of its spiked mandibles quickly brushed off the crew cap Veronica had on. The cap fell to the floor as the Cyrealian bit down on Veronica's head causing her body to jerk at the spiky intrusion to her braincase.</p>
<p>Its crab-like pinchers let go of her wrists at the same time its four arms pulled apart her technician coveralls. Peeling her from her space onesie like a banana leaving her naked trembling body hanging by her head from its mandibles. Emily could see her sister's eyes go wide then flutter and her legs kicked and arms shook at her sides. The Cyrealian reached its hands up and gripped her around the midsection pinning her arms to her side. Then it lifted her up and pulled her head into its waiting circular fleshy maw and regripped with its mandibles. It continued this process of pulling her in bit by bit extending its mandibles and slurping her trembling body into its circular hungry lips. When it reached her waist it let go with its four arms and raised its head leaving her lower body horizontal for a few bites. Her legs unsupported bent down and kicked slightly. Her legs were then closed together by the Cyrealian's mandibles, as her hips were squeezed into its mouth. It then raised its head up after conquering the width of her hips and let her legs slowly sink down into its gullet.</p>
<p>"See its neck expand as it swallows and tilts its head up?" asked Pest</p>
<p>"Yes," whispered Emily</p>
<p>"That is its weakest point we have found. Its natural armor plates move to accommodate the swallowing. Don't get me wrong the skin holding them together is still stronger than rawhide leather but a plasma round can penetrate if you catch it in one of the gaps that the swallowing process makes. This is why we make the combat models watch feeding videos of each different clone model we happen to have a combat recording of."</p>
<p>"Oh…" Said Emily as she watched her sister clone's right calf, and then foot, slowly disappear into the Cyrealin's mouth.</p>
<p>"You better catch up with the others now." Emily jogged to the next room thinking about what she had just seen. So this is what the Federation has been dealing with since her time at the Academy, she thought.</p>
<p>As she entered the room she was greeted by a bubbly Kaylee. "We have Vaccsuits with our names on them! Also, we have some better weapons!" Kaylee hefted a model of rifle Emily was unfamiliar with. "Pest has our gear all ready for us and we have our names on the gear!"</p>
<p>"Here Emily!" Kaylee chimed and handed her a new VaccSuit with her name on it. "Get your new suit on girl! We might just need these suits to get off this ship. The rest of your kit is back there." Kaylee pointed to a long narrow space between two rows of tall gear lockers with a bench between them.</p>
<p>Pest interrupted the party "Courtney you are the first one dressed and kitted up with your new weapons. Take a demo charge from the weapons rack, and place it at the door between the locker room and the shower room in case they try to follow us."</p>
<p>Courtney grinned from ear to ear with the news of her new high-risk assignment and grabbed a large satchel charge and headed back to where they had all just come from.</p>
<p>Emily watched Courtney happily scurry back to the locker room door. "You P models seem all too eager."</p>
<p>Jill and Amy just stared at her with their thin eyebrows raised slightly.</p>
<p>Pest spoke up to everyone in the room. "What do you mean Emily? They are happy to do their part for the Federation. You are the model that competed for this honor and they have no memory of volunteering. Shouldn't you be even more 'eager' than them?"</p>
<p>Before Emily could form words to respond Pest spoke to her in a private channel in her space earplugs. "Emily, please don't publicly say anything that could make the P models think that they are doing anything out of the ordinary. They are specifically designed to be just the way they are."</p>
<p>"How exactly is that? What are they designed to be like? You know so I can better understand my teammates." Emily asked with some attitude as she headed to her own locker.</p>
<p>Pest waited until Emily was deeper into the gear locker away from her comrades.</p>
<p>"They have a few different donors of genetic material. All of them gave the same permission that you did, knowing full well what was going to happen to the clones of them. So if you were asking an ethical question of the Federation, I assure you nothing nefarious or underhanded happened. They are as legitimate as you are. However, being a combination of many different people spliced into one fighter pilot they cannot retain any memories of previous lives. So in that way, they are inherently different than you."</p>
<p>"Well, they sure seem faster. But why are they so reckless?" Emily responded as she stripped out of her crew suit. She was ready for the safety of a Vaccsuit.</p>
<p>"They have the quickest reflexes that the Federation scientists could code into human DNA. They also have the attributes needed to be a supreme pilot. Excellent spatial awareness combined with the ability for complex multitasking in a fast-paced environment. They are female with a mostly female brain running on as much testosterone as a high school quarterback. That same high testosterone is mixed with augmented muscles to be 1.8 times stronger than a normal human. Their bones do not need to grow once they 'hatch', so they are not hollow but solid and denser than human bones occur naturally. Their heart is larger and can pump blood through a more efficient venous system to keep them from losing consciousness during high G maneuvers."</p>
<p>"Ok, I understand that they are very physically qualified! You can clearly see that they look like supermodels by how tall and toned they are. Knowing that they can fight and fly, and have the bodies to do it is all well and good, but could any of them pass a psych eval?" Emily said as she finished dawning her new VaccSuit with her name printed on it above her left breast.</p>
<p>"Good Heavens No!" Emily placed her fishbowl helmet on while Pest continued. "The Federation doesn't need philosophers flying dangerous missions with an extremely low survival rate. They need fearless and confident pilots who thrive in high-stress scenarios. So they have been engineered to be just that. Absolutely fearless and what you may call adrenaline junkies. We have tweaked their brains to process all stress as excitement. Extremely dangerous assignments are exciting to them instead of terrifying."</p>
<p>"Did you tweak them to not feel pain the same way I was tweaked?"</p>
<p>"See we wanted your model to stay as close to the original as possible and not be in agony but not be all that different. This change was only done about 10 years ago. With them, we took it a step further and it was a lot easier. The fact is that the same part of the brain processes pain and pleasure. For them, it was a simple flipping of the switch to feel all physical stimuli positively. In short, they are incapable of feeling any pain and can only have a pleasure response even to mortal wounds. This has led to some issues with the model and is why testing is underway for a replacement. We sometimes have to order them to stay alive."</p>
<p>"Isn't this unethical in some way?" Emily found her kit that had been set aside and opened her hard pack and looked inside continuing the conversation.</p>
<p>"What do you mean. We are improving the model with testing and are making do with what we have to work with. During a time of peace, they are not perfect. However, if we are going to war with the Cyrealians again we may keep them around for a bit. After all, it was the last war with the Cyrealians that was on everyone's mind when the current P models were designed."</p>
<p>"That is not what I meant! You said you have to order them to stay alive and they are so altered they cannot feel pain."</p>
<p>"Oh, you want soldiers of the Federation to die in complete agony. You want them to go into battle terrified and have their comrades hear their cries for help and screams of agony over the radio before they are killed. Emily, you surprise me! I had it in my programming that you were tender-hearted. After everything you just witnessed in the locker room, you want the Federation to intentionally create personnel to feel and experience the full horror of war unmitigated when we could ease their pain and make them more effective for dealing with what would otherwise be massive emotional and psychological and physical anguish? All these tortured individuals just so you can have your indefensible moral high ground. Seriously ask yourself who is the real monster now Emily."</p>
<p>Emily froze at the accusation. She looked up at the mirror on the inside of the open locker. Seeing herself in the mirror for the first time in, what, 75 years. It only felt like less than an hour. She still had a few freckles across her cheeks beneath green eyes. Was she looking at a monster? This new way of looking at what she had just witnessed minutes before struck her. Was she a monster? Was she wrong and the Federation right? Had she had her way, she would have caused unnecessary pain for the clones, while weakening the Federation.</p>
<p>"Emily, you are a great Technician clone. All these years and you haven't been replaced. However, moving forward, let's leave the higher-level decision making to the Federation's high command, shall we? Now grab your kit and rejoin the others."</p>
<p>Emily put these thoughts aside as she checked her Vaccsuit. She had a standard EVA ship repair suit. It was skin tight and bright yellow. This made the Technicians highly visible while doing construction and repair during EVA operations. It had her name printed in black lettering above her left breast. The suit had black boots and gloves built into it. All repair suits had one-piece fishbowl style helmets. This affords great visibility and was cheap to mass-produce. A rebreather pack was designed to fit on her back with the intake and outtake hose meeting in the middle forming a loop. The loop fit over her head and plugged into the front ringlet that her helmet would be secured to. She checked herself in the mirror one final time. Great! Everything looks perfect!</p>
<p>Emily slung her rebreather on a fastened the straps. She checked the air flow and felt a burst of air on the front of her throat. She grabbed the fishbowl helmet, and took her pack of provisions and returned to join the team. Emily walked into the staging area at the same time as Courtney's long legs brought her back in a swift easy jog. She seemed to have been ordered to survive and rejoin them.</p>
<p>"The charge is set! Any inhuman son of a bitch tries to follow us will get blown away!" Courtney reported to the others with a broad smile.</p>
<p>"Excellent work Courtney," Pest responded. "Everyone, I am assigning you some extra gear to take with you to resupply the fire time I am linking you up with."</p>
<p>"Finally some backup!" Kaylee said in her normal chipper voice.</p>
<p>"How many are in this fire team?" asked Jill.</p>
<p>"Standard size team of 5. There was a platoon 30 minutes ago. The surviving five members need weapons and ammo. Jill, Amy, each of you take a plasma projector. Also, grab 5 reload charges for the projectors each. Courtney, grab a heavy repeater and two reloads for it. Emily and Kaylee you each keep your new plasma rifles and grab 10 reload charges and pack some food and water. You will need to eat at some point. Stacy, you use a pistol having only one arm now, but strap a sniper rifle to your back. The scout can make use of it once you are in the jungles of Signa-4. Emily put some ammo for the sniper in Stacy's pack with some more food. Everyone you already have one first aid kit on your utility belt, but grab one more to hand off to the fire team."</p>
<p>"Hey, can I have a few more satchel charges? I am carrying less than Jill and Amy." Courtney piped up.</p>
<p>"As long as you each keep your rifle and the extra gear I assigned, I don't mind you taking a little more. Just don't weigh yourself down too much."</p>
<p>"Great!" Courtney quickly slung 3 more charges over her shoulder with her rifle and readied her new heavy repeater. "No sense in carrying heavy ordnance and not having it ready!" said Courtney.</p>
<p>Pest noticed Jill and Amy both grab a few grenades and attach them to their utility belts. "Looks like we are ready to move out. So here is what is about to happen. The fire team is making its way to the aft part of the ship right now 3 decks below you. There are quite a few Cyrealians one deck below you and moving in the same direction. That team of 3 Cyrealians is just two rooms away. We need to get you to the outer corridor so you can sprint towards the aft of the ship and drop down a utility shaft 3 decks and meet up with the fire team. This will place you close to my engine control room. I will be opening and closing doors and telling you when to run from section to section. Listen carefully and don't hesitate to follow my commands."</p>
<p>"Tell us where to go Pest!" Amy said with a smile on her face. She and the other two pilots looked excited.</p>
<p>"Wait the Cyrealians are doubling back. We need to hold here for a few minutes and let them pass or walk into Courtney's trap. This is a good time to catch you all up on who we are fighting. Emily, Kaylee, and Stacy please look closely at the monitor and keep your gear nearby. Jill, Courtney and Amy, you three have neural downloads of the Cyrealians in your heads already from the cloning process. You did just hatch after all so you three are up to date. Pull security and guard the doors while I get bring Techs up to speed."</p>
<p>Emily, Kaylee, and Stacy crowded around the large screen that flickered on. The screen was on the more open end of the gear locker near the only table in the room. A picture of a Cyrealian appeared on the screen next to a human for size reference.</p>
<p>"Wow!" exclaimed Kaylee, "They are huge!"</p>
<p>"They are about 6 and a half meters long and can weigh in at 2,200 kilograms." Pest informed them.</p>
<p>The animation showed the Cyrealian running in place so the clones could get an understanding of how they moved. The rear 22 legs eleven on each side ran in waves. The front 4 legs, two per side, moved slightly differently.</p>
<p>"I am sure you notice the large folded appendages on its back," Pest stated.</p>
<p>"Tell me those aren't wings!" Kaylee exclaimed.</p>
<p>"They are not wings," Pest reassured her.</p>
<p>"Oh good!"</p>
<p>"They are giant pinchers!" Pest corrected.</p>
<p>Kaylee's jaw fell open at the animation showed the large claws unfold. The arms the claws were attached swung forward on large ball joints the Cyrealian had for shoulders. The animation's camera orientation changed to give a full round view. While showing the long 3-meter reach of the scorpion-like pincers.</p>
<p>"Ok this is officially a bicycle made out of nightmares!" exclaimed Stacy.</p>
<p>"Interesting term Stacy." Pest mused as the computer logged what must have been a common expression from the late 24th century.</p>
<p>Emily studied the animation intently learning more about these things. After what she had seen happen to Veronica not long ago, she decided it was best to learn what she could. As the screen showed a top-down view Pest continued her class. The pincers tri-folded back up like oval shaped useless wings.</p>
<p>"The body is just over a meter across and just under a meter in height. The legs usually extend out about a half meter on either side. However, when needed it can fold its legs under its body while still moving."</p>
<p>The animation showed two posts appear on either side of the crawling nightmare. As it moved between the posts its legs moved accordingly to avoid collision with the obstacles at its sides.</p>
<p>The camera panned back around to a side view. The Cyrealian was still in motion.</p>
<p>Notice the front arms are different than the rest," Pest pointed out.</p>
<p>The clones leaned in to get a better look, as the camera zoomed in on the front half of the Cyrealian.</p>
<p>"The front 4 legs are thicker and have one less elbow/knee, than all those hind legs," Stacy said.</p>
<p>"Right you are!" said Pest. "Now look at the first hind leg after the 4 front ones." The animation highlighted the leg in question. "See how it has a ball joint a little different than all the hind legs to the rear of it? That first hind leg pair is also larger than all the ones after it. That pair has larger footpads too."</p>
<p>"Oh I see," said Kaylee, as all three clones nodded.</p>
<p>Also, notice the one body section without legs between that one and the front four." The animation highlighted this new detail. "Watch this," said Pest as the Cyrealian's first hind leg pair stepped further forward for its next step. Simultaneously it pushed up hard with its front legs. The creature bent at the gap section and raised the upper ⅓ of its body. It kept moving in this new stance. Its head was now just under 3 meters tall.</p>
<p>All three girls gasped seeing the large creature in this formidable new pose.</p>
<p>The front 4 legs unfolded as the camera moved to a front on view of the Cyrealian. It had been running on its elbows. The three elbowed arms had an impressive reach. "Notice the hands are zygodactyl," continued Pest. "Two fingers are facing each way from the palm of its hands."</p>
<p>The animation zoomed in on one of the hands to show what Pest had just said."This is how it can shoot up to 4 plasma guns at a time while hunting or fighting."</p>
<p>"Why do they only have two guns then?" asked Emily. "All the ones we have seen today only use two guns not four."</p>
<p>"Well we don't know," answered Pest. "We have seen it very rarely, but usually you are right they operate two guns at a time. We speculate they want to keep a set of hands free. But that is just speculation. We can't exactly ask them."</p>
<p>"I thought there was some time of peace between the wars," interjected Stacy. "Couldn't our scientists or diplomats learn more then?"</p>
<p>"Well there have been times that we were not actively fighting them, but there has never been a treaty for sure. In fact, we don't even know how they communicate, outside of the ship to ship data bursts we cannot decode. The fact is they have no spoken language. We have several hypotheses from pheromones to telepathy. So far we are at a loss. We do know that the large brain of theirs seems to be very capable. After all the brain is about 12 times the size of a human brain with more densely packed neural pathways. The fact remains that all we know about them is gleaned from combat footage and autopsies."</p>
<p>After a brief pause Pest said "It looks like the charge Courtney planted is about to get triggered. They came back to the other locker room between the Med Bay and the Showers. "This way quickly." A door opened up in front of them leading to a large briefing room. They ran across the briefing room to another door leading to a hallway. As they quickly filed into the hall a loud explosion was heard back towards the showers. All of them followed Courtney as she lead the way seeming to ride atop her long legs with ease. Kaylee followed next scurrying to keep up. Emily helped Stacy along although she didn't need it. Amy and Jill brought up the rear.</p>
<p>They had just started to ender the hallway when Pest spoke up right after the explosion.</p>
<p>"Courtney give Jill one of your charges," Pest commanded. "Jill toss a grenade out of the door on the right side of the briefing room we just left," A door opened up on cue and Jill lobbed one of her hand bombs into the adjacent corridor, then turned to take a satchel charge from Courtney. Pest closed the door to the outside corridor "Everyone else run down the hallway. Jill hold fast and shoot two quick shots at the Cyrelian when he comes through the door you just tossed a grenade through."</p>
<p>"Got it!"</p>
<p>"Soon as you shoot, step back and I will close this door. Place your charge here on the door to detonate when they try to pry it open. Then rejoin the others."</p>
<p>"Yes, Ma'am!" Jill placed her charge just inside the door she would be securing.</p>
<p>A loud thud came from the door across the briefing room. A Cyrealian was beating on it with its large pincers. Jill tightened her grip on her rifle and sighted in on the center of the door. Three more loud impacts on the door followed, causing a separation in the two-door panels. A set of claws pierced the crack and pried the door open with ease. Instantly Jill let two rounds fly and hit the Cyrelian in the chest before it could react, then promptly stepped back into the small hallway as the door closed. After rigging the door to blow when tampered with she jogged down the hallway to find the others in a ladder well of sorts all stacked up ready to sprint out of a door on the right side of the small room. Pest talked to them via the 'space earplugs'.</p>
<p>"Amy, you're up next. When the charge that Jill planted goes off toss a grenade down the ladder well. The Cyrealian patrol is almost right under where you all are now. Everyone soon as I open the door you are stacked on, sprint down the main corridor to your left. I will have the elevator open for you to pile into." Pest instructed. "For now wait for the-</p>
<p>'BOOM'</p>
<p>The door opened immediately as they reeled from the blast. Courtney was the first out the door as Amy tossed her grenade down the ladder, then sprinted into the corridor with the rest.</p>
<p>Emily ran as fast as she could down the impossibly long main hallway. The elevator doors opened in front of her. Her legs felt like they were made of lead as she tried to keep pace. It almost seemed like the elevator was getting further away the harder she ran! Pest's voice yelled for Emily to go faster in her ears. Her heart pounded and legs burned as she and Stacy were in the rear trying their hardest to make it to safety. Well, relative safety anyway. She could see Courtney and Jill in the elevator turning to look back and provide cover.</p>
<p>The good news is that they were not shooting at anything behind Emily and Stacy yet. Just then the elevator started to go down a bit and stopped at Jill and Courtney's chest level providing them with more cover as they flanked either side of the door. Amy made it. She slid in gracefully on her side and dropped into the lowered utility elevator. Kaylee was next and did the same slide maneuver, albeit a little less graceful. Emily was almost there. Her and Stacy were stride in stride, just a few meters to go! Emily saw the look on the other clones' faces change and knew their luck had just run out. Jill's rifle and Courtney's heavy repeater opened up with a withering amount of fire at knee level on either side of her and Stacy. She and Stacy dove headlong into the lowered elevator landing in a heap on the floor. Emily looked up just in time to see a few green plasma rounds from a Cyrealian plasma rifle slap into the back wall of the elevator above her. It sounded like a wet splash of static electricity as it hit the metal alloy. Then the doors closed saving them from any more enemy fire.</p>
<p>"Wow, you all lived." Pest chirped over the elevator's speaker. "Great result! The Fireteam of Combat models will be waiting for you in just a moment when you reach the engineering deck." Pest then turned on some old elevator music for them.</p>
<p>'Do do-do do-doo' Dun du-dun dun Duun' from a lonely jazz saxophone serenaded them as they all thought back on what had just happened. One by one they smiled and started to laugh sitting on the floor of the elevator as it descended to the belly of the ship. The belly of Pest.</p>
<p>'Ding!'</p>
<p>The elevator doors opened to reveal 5 tall men in grey, black, &amp; green armor. Their faces were completely hidden from view by their combat helmets and tinted visors. Slowly in unison, all five of them looked down at the 6 girls surrounded by heavy weaponry sitting on the floor giggling to the sound of lonely saxophone elevator music. The girls looked up at them in surprise and everyone just froze for a few moments as the music continued to play.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part 2 of a 6 part story. Emily and her party join up with some combat clones to continue their mission.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yay, we are saved!” exclaimed Kaylee as she giggled and stood up. The others quickly followed suit.</p><p>“Pest said you are the Technicians we need,” A large man, but not the largest, standing in the middle of the five combat models stated flatly.</p><p>“Pest said you are the Fire Team we need,” Emily returned.</p><p>“I need all of you, and you need each other,” Pest interjected, taking control of the situation. “The first thing all of you need to do is head towards the main reactor room. The guard station just before the reactor room is where you can meet and greet and trade weapons. I will brief you there.”</p><p>“Lead the way, Pest,” Courtney said.</p><p>“It is this way, and my name is Lucas.” The large man spoke before Pest could and he pointed to another member of the fire team, “Seth, take the lead; you know the way,” Lucus instructed.</p><p>Seth raised his plasma rifle up and started down the corridor to the right, “Yes sir!”</p><p>The rest followed quickly after Seth as he took point. Emily noticed one of the combat models was not wearing any armor. She filed that away for the moment, determined to ask why later. She was doing something a little more important right now. As curious as she was, she knew staying alive took priority. A few turns later, they came to a large, secure reinforced door.</p><p>“Lucas, I have programmed the security system to accept your credentials. Place your chip near the sensor,” Pest instructed.</p><p>Lucas stepped up to the left side of the door to a small console and swiped his left forearm across the reader. There was a beeping sound followed by several mechanical thuds and clicks. The door raised painfully slowly as the clones all waited to enter some relative safety from the Cyrealians. When the door was halfway up, Seth and Paul ducked below the rising door and entered the room while sighting down their rifles. Emily heard them both shout, “Clear Lt.!” over the intercom.</p><p>At that, the rest of the combat models entered the secure room, followed by the T and P model clones. The room was small and had what looked like two information desks on either side of the room. On second look, Emily saw that the curved information desks were manned by two more combat clones still standing guard. Almost as soon as they were all inside, the guard on the left pulled a lever to close the door behind them.</p><p>As soon as they were all safely inside with the door now secure Lucas called out, “Report troopers. Number and name!” to the two guards.</p><p>Behind the thick transparent aluminum armor of their posts, each called out one after the other.</p><p>“CA2517, called Andy, Sir!”</p><p>“CA3855, called Brad, Sir!”</p><p>Lucas looked between the two combat models, “Are you two all that is left of the guard detail?”</p><p>“Yes, sir! The others joined the fight. Pest ordered us to stay here and man turrets in case the Bast-...um, Cyrealians made it through the first door.”</p><p>Emily then noticed the large plasma cannons below the transparent aluminum. Yep, those would probably kill a Cyrealian, she thought, or at least hoped.</p><p>Pest spoke to everyone over an open channel, “Andy and Brad, you are going to be joining them. You both have fatigues with you, right?”</p><p>“Ma’am?” questioned Brad.</p><p>“Yes, trooper?”</p><p>“Won’t we need our armor on to fight the Cyrealians?”</p><p>“Of course! But you will just sink in the mud and not be able to climb as well if you make it to the surface of Signa-4. The rescue could be quite some time. So for all the time you might spend not in combat, I suggest you bring a change of clothes for your upcoming safari.” Pest answered.</p><p>“And we are getting ready to self destruct the ship so you will not need to guard the reactor we are rigging to blow,” Lucas added. “So grab any heavy weapons you have and load your pack with some food and a water filter. We are leaving soon. Bring any grenades you have as well!”</p><p>“Aye, Sir!” They both shouted and turned to collect weapons and provisions.</p><p>“Before we get ahead of ourselves, I need to split you into two teams,” Pest said. “Team Alpha and Team Bravo. Alpha will comprise Emily, Stacy, Terrell, and Brad; Andre, you’ll take point on this team. Lucas, you will lead Bravo which will comprise Jill, Amy, Courtney, Kaylee, Seth, Paul, and Andy.”</p><p>“You heard her. Two groups now. Bravo on the left side of the room and Alpha on the right.” Lucas commanded, spurring all the clones to follow Pest’s latest order. “Andy, Brad, we don’t have all day. Grab your kits and join the party.”</p><p>“Yes, Sir.” Responded Andy as he jogged up to Lucas and the rest of Bravo team.</p><p>“Glad to have you trooper! Now give me all of your grenades,” smiled Lucas.</p><p>“Aye, Sir!”</p><p>“Ok everyone, I need to brief you on the plan to get to the surface of Signa-4 while causing some damage to the enemy vessel attacking us,” Pest announced over the chatter that had begun between the clones in the room.</p><p>“Attention!” Everyone snapped to at Lucus’s commanding voice. He waited for a beat until there was an absolute silence before he added, “Pest, please continue.”</p><p>“Thank you, Lucus. As I was saying, we are going to kill quite a few of these bastards and hopefully destroy or at least cripple their ship while making our escape to the surface of the planet we are orbiting. The best-case scenario is their ship explodes and vaporizes when the ship we are on rams into them and the reactor goes critical. Then it is a race against time. The Federation has a contingency plan in place in the event that the Cyrealian Hives attacked again. The contingency is named Code Autumn. We sent out a message to the closest outpost at the start of the attack. Moments before we lost the bridge and detonated explosives to keep them from taking control, we got confirmation from the Federation. It simply read ‘Code Autumn now in effect’. Undoubtedly they sent more transmissions with instructions, however, we do not have any working comms on board that can send or receive transmissions over the distance required to reestablish contact with command.”</p><p>“What does that mean for us, Pest?” Lucus asked with a stern eagerness in his voice.</p><p>“It means the calvary is coming.” Pest answered. “There are a few Federation stations on Signa-4, and there was one orbiting space station. They put up a good fight before they fell, giving us time to prepare for battle and initiate Code Autumn. Your mission is to extract my data drive and make it to outpost #2. There is a bunker there and a long-distance transmitter to reestablish contact with the Federation. Your mission ultimately is to guide and provide intel to the Federation fleet that is at maximum warp on the way to Signa-4. They should be here within 6 hours. You have until then to upload my data drives to the transmitter so the fleet will not be heading into the first battle of the 3rd Cyrealian war blind. This time the Federation intends to win and win big instead of just surviving.”</p><p>“Best news I’ve heard all day!” Lucas said as he turned to look at his troops standing at attention. “Right Troopers!?”</p><p>A chorus of loud Ooorahs filled the makeshift briefing room.</p><p>“Love the enthusiasm!” Pest remarked. “Alpha team, you will place charges and program the reactor to overload for maximum effect. You will escape via a Jefferies tube in the back of the reactor room. Take the Jefferies tube all the way to the bottom of the ship to a cluster of 10 escape pods in the aft part of the ship between the two main impulse engines. Launch all the pods at once to confuse enemy fighters as soon as the ship rolls over. Right now the bottom of the ship is facing up and away from the planet. If you launched early, your escape would be cut short because you would slam into the underside of the Cyrealian ship. I will direct you on how to make the reactor go critical and tell you where to place the charges later. Any questions Alpha team?”</p><p>After a few moments of silence, “Good glad we are all on the same page then,” said Pest. “Bravo team! You have a fight on your hands. You will fight an entire squad size element of Cyrealian warriors heading down the main corridor of this floor to the backup mainframe. Kaylee is the only technician you have on the team. She must make it there alive. And I mean at all costs she must be protected until she can extract my data drives. After that, I need at least one P model clone remaining minimum to make it to the hanger to fly a shuttle down to station 2 on the planet. Obviously the more pilots we have, the better. Any extra pilots will not be passengers on the shuttle. They will get into the few fighters we have remaining and fly escort for the shuttles and escape pods of the survivors. Bravo team will launch from the hanger bay as soon as the ship rolls as well. Having all the survivors of the crew in different parts of the ship launch their escape pods in unison will help overwhelm the enemy point defenses. We are looking at all 200 pods launching, although only about 60 will have surviving crew inside. The rest will serve as decoys. Lucas, you are the only clone officer and therefore the only one authorized to keep my data drives on your person until you get the bunker at Station 2. Understand?”</p><p>“Just glad you are coming with us, Pest.” He answered.</p><p>“Well, not exactly,” Pest continued. “You will be in charge of my data drives with classified intel, ship logs, etc. I myself am going down with the ship. There is no easy way to remove a ship AI from a ship. I and the ship are one.”</p><p>“Understood Ma’am,” Lucas replied before asking. “Ma’am, if you are offline, who will be flying the ship to ram the Cyrealians and roll the ship over so we can escape? Should I have a P model stay behind?”</p><p>All the P models perked up at the thought of being the lucky girl chosen to ram an enemy warship.</p><p>Pest answered, “Oh, I am sure they would be eager too, however, the human interface controls were taken out when we detonated the charges in the bridge. There is no way for them to pilot the ship. I will have a pre-programmed flight plan encoded on a chip and ready to upload. Kaylee will activate that flight plan on a timer after she extracts my data drive. After all, A.I.s like myself are not allowed to fly a ship. Kaylee, all you have to do is remove the chip before extracting me. I will tell you which one when you get there. Then after you hand my data drive to Lucas insert that chip back into the slot you pulled it from. A window will appear on the screen. Set the flight plan to begin on autopilot 2 minutes and 30 seconds. That should be just enough time to surprise the Cyrealians in the hanger and get to your ships, yet not overstay your welcome.”</p><p>“That isn’t much time but we can manage,” said Lucas in a slow solemn voice.</p><p>Pest took a moment before adding, “Bravo team when you get to the hanger, there are a few crew members and pilots I have tucked away at the other end of the hanger. Don’t let your team get too excited and shoot them by accident. They are bringing provisions and equipment to fix the comms array at the station. They will be taking two shuttles and 12 fighters. Commander Hrothgar is with them. He is the highest-ranking survivor and your superior officer. Turn my data drives over to him when you meet him at the station. Things will be a little bit too frantic in the hanger for a handover.”</p><p>“Glad he made it Pest. He is a good officer. How did he survive when the bridge was taken by the Cyrealians?”</p><p>“He was in a shuttle returning from the planet when the battle started. He never made it to the bridge. He directed the battle at the front of the ship after landing in the forward service hanger while under fire. He then saw to it that we had 60 pods filled with survivors instead of zero.”</p><p>“Oooh fucking Rah!”</p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p>“Ok, does anyone have any questions before I start barking orders?” Lucas asked in a loud, crisp voice.</p><p>“Sir, why am I going to the reactor and not fighting to the mainframe?” Asked the largest of the clones in advanced heavy armor, hefting a heavy plasma repeater.</p><p>“Terrell, it is because if the Cyrealians get to the reactor after we leave, you and Brad are the only ones with armor. You two must defend the Techs.” Lucas answered. “Andre, Pest probably ordered you to stay with Alpha since you are a scout without armor. We are going head to head with Cyrealians in close quarters. Also, it will be the best chance Alpha has of making it to the station through the jungle. You have been on Signa-4 and know what it is like down there.”</p><p>“I figured as much Sir!” Andre answered.</p><p>“Isn’t our pod going to Station 2 also?” asked Stacy.</p><p>“Escape pods are designed to get you in the general area. They are not meant for precisely hitting a landing pad. Besides 200 being launched and 60 or more with crew heading for one landing pad, it would get crowded in a hurry. The landing pad is for shuttles and fighters only. They can easily move into the hanger.” Lucas paused to look around, “Anybody have anything else?”</p><p>The room was quiet as the clones all looked around at each other.</p><p>“Bravo needs all heavy weapons and grenades. Terrell, you keep your heavy repeater. Andre, did she just give you a sniper rifle?” Lucas asked pointing to him and the one-armed technician next to him.</p><p>“Yes sir. And I just learned her name is Stacy,” Andre responded.</p><p>“Glad to see you have a girlfriend, Andre,” Lucas smiled.</p><p>Emily looked at Stacy as she saw her blush. Of course she would. Andre was hella good looking. The others might be too, but they all had armor on and you couldn’t even see their faces. Andre just had on a T-shirt and combat pants with a load-bearing vest holding a few essentials. He also had a small backpack, no doubt full of things he would need to lead them around in the jungles of Signa-4. Hey, this might not turn out to be such a bad time, after all, Emily thought. Oh yeah, Stacy is his girlfriend now. Well not really, they did just exchange names and Lucas was joking. Emily decided that she would find time to talk to him later.</p><p>“Alright, it looks like we have three plasma projectors. Seth, Paul, Andy! You each get one!” Lucas commanded. “How many charges do we have?”</p><p>Amy responded, “Jill and I each brought 5 each so there is a total of 50 shots between us with our 10 plasma charges.”</p><p>“There were two more for this one in the locker,” Brad quickly added as he handed his projector and ammo to Andy.</p><p>“Good, then you each get 4 reloads. Pest told me there was a crate of grenades here in this locker.” Lucas said as he walked to a large double door locker. “Ah found them. P models over here. What are your names by the way?” He turned to see the three Pilots standing at attention in front of him and read their names aloud. “Courtney, Amy, and Jill. Nice to meet you; I am 1st Lt. Lucas.” He smiled as he set down the crate in front of them. “There are 30 grenades here in the crate so you each get 10. Keep as many as you can on your belt. You are going to be going through these kinda quickly. Also, you will need to keep up the fire rate from your rifles. Don’t bother conserving ammo. Most likely you won’t live long enough to use it later. If you do make it to the station on Signa-4 you can pick up more ammo there. So don’t hold back. And one more thing. I need you three to defend...who was it?” He looked over at Kaylee and read her name printed just above her left breast on her Vacc suit. “Yes, Kaylee. Our tech. You are to keep her alive at all personal cost understand?”</p><p>This command and the earlier comment about not living long enough to use more ammo drew a breath of excitement from the three gathered P models. Courtney saluted and said, “Yes Sir!” As she and the other two clones of her model smiled. Jill and Amy quickly saluted as well and said, “Yes Sir!” in unison.</p><p>Lucas returned their salute and smiled at them before walking away, leaving them to gather their grenades. He turned to look at the three of them over his shoulder and admire their shapely forms.</p><p>Pest crackled in his ear “You seem to like their model.”</p><p>Speaking low in his helmet on a private channel to Pest, he answered, “They are very versatile, useful, and eager. Not bad to look at either.”</p><p>“Yet your model seems to prefer the T clones for relationships.”</p><p>“They are unaltered and the most human. I could say the most like me, but really I am the most like them. Besides what anyone does with the Ps could hardly be called a relationship,” he said while smirking behind his visor.</p><p>Emily took a moment to look in her backpack again. She pulled out two packs of condensed food. The label said that they were enough for 72 hours each. Mmm 6 days of rations, she thought. Next she saw two metal water bottles that seemed full and a water filter. Guess there will be plenty of water to filter in the jungle. And then she saw some clothes. Woah I didn’t think about packing a change of clothes. Good thing Pest had this go bag ready. She quickly pulled out a set of khaki shorts and a black tank top with a built-in sports bra, and two pairs of underwear. Well, it is a good thing I won’t have to run around in the hot jungle wearing a spacesuit!</p><p>“OK, everyone. Finish checking your gear. Alpha team, go to the security door leading to the reactor. Bravo form up at the door you came in.”</p><p>Emily looked over to see Kaylee excitedly holding up her new shorts and tank top with a smile. Kaylee looked over and met eyes with Emily and giggled before stuffing her jungle explorer outfit back into her pack. Emily turned back to putting her own gear in order and closed up her backpack. She joined the rest of the Alpha team standing next to the reactor entrance.</p><p>“I cannot open both doors at the same time for obvious safety reasons,” Pest spoke up. “We don’t want a Cyrealian sprinting from the outside to the reactor. That is why the security room exists. To keep unauthorized people, or things, out. Alpha you are going into the reactor first before Bravo leaves to fight their way to the mainframe. If anyone has any satchel charges now is the time to give them all to Emily. She is the only one who needs any.”</p><p>Courtney and Jill walked over and gave their charges to Emily. Courtney looked at Emily and said, “Good luck girl! See you planetside in no time.” Then she slapped her on the butt and walked back to Bravo team.</p><p>“OK, here we go,” Pest said as she opened the door to the reactor. Brad and Terrell were in first followed closely by Andre. Stacy and Emily entered last before the door lowered behind them. With a heavy metal clunk, the door closed and locked.</p><p>“Stacy go to the main console,” Pest instructed. “You cannot actually do anything until I am shut down in the mainframe by Bravo. My programming will not let the reactor go critical. You have to do it manually.”</p><p>“OK Pest, but how will I know what to do?” Stacy answered.</p><p>“I will instruct you via private comm channel so you know what to do when the time comes.” With that Stacy walked out on a gantry way in the middle of the room in silence to everyone else, with Pest talking to her in her ‘space-earplugs’.</p><p>“Andre, Brad, Terrell, guard the door. The ladies have work to do,” Pest said. This made Emily smile. “OK, Emily. Time to go to work. Your job is simple but important. If you do it right, you may get credit for killing the first enemy battleship in the 3rd Cyrealian war! If I had hands, I would clap for you.” Pest remarked.</p><p>“Gee, thanks Pest!” giggled Emily. “What do you want me to do?”</p><p>“Ok, as you can see, there are really two main reactors in this reactor room. You will place a charge on each of them and set the timer for 4 minutes. Pick a combat clone to help you start the timers simultaneously. When I go offline, you will each hit the button to start the timer for your respective charge. Then you will both make your escape. Right now you need to program the charges, then place them. Then go find a helper.”</p><p>“Excellent; something that I know how to do! I assume you want me to look at these reactors and decide where the charges would do the most damage.”</p><p>“You are correct.”</p><p>“You are not telling me because you have a plan but not the knowledge of how a reactor works?”</p><p>“Also correct. I am a ship combat AI. I have many abilities, but in-depth knowledge of how to generate power is not in my programming. The Federation is relying on you now and has been relying on you for 75 years. Time to show everyone that our faith in you is not misplaced.”</p><p>Emily, smiling, turned to look over the reactors and decide how she was going to cause the biggest explosion she had ever seen!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part 3 of a 6 part story featuring Emily, a T-Model Clone.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is the third part of Emily's story. Hope you like it. Please write a review if you like it. I am open to feedback as a newer writer. As always I enjoy working together with others for any collaboration or projects. Without any further ado, enjoy the story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So what are you boys doing?" Emily asked as she walked up to rejoin Andre, Brad, and Terrell.</p><p>"We've been guarding the door while you T models did your work," Brad stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>Terrell spoke over his shoulder to Emily, his eyes remaining on a monitor mounted next to the door they'd been guarding, "We are watching the live feed of Bravo team making their way to the mainframe. Here take a look."</p><p>Emily stepped up between Brad and Terrell feeling both small as well as protected, for the time being. On-screen, Emily saw Bravo team making their way down a corridor. With the three identically suited Seth, Paul, and Andy out front, each had their shoulder-mounted plasma projectors ready. With the force of an old anti-tank rocket, the plasma projector had a shorter range but this was made up for by the fact that it had five shots with very little recoil and no backblast to hurt friendly troops nearby.</p><p>The camera angle changed as Bravo rounded a corner and caught 6 Cyrealians by surprise. Immediately a volley of plasma projectors fired off, followed a second later by another volley. Lucas could be seen in the middle of the group firing the heavy repeating blaster. The P models began throwing grenades and firing their rifles full auto to keep the level of fire up. It was a truly impressive sight to see. A deadly ballet of combined arms laying waste to the enemy. The Cyrealians didn't last long under such withering fire. Soon Bravo continued walking past the blown apart legs, claws, and shell fragments as the corridor fell silent once again. And there was Kaylee right in the middle of it all, walking closely behind Lucas, surrounded by the P models as they guarded her.</p><p>"Wow, they seem to be doing alright!" Emily remarked with admiration remembering her own encounters with the Cyrealians.</p><p>"They have run into a few different groups now. So far Bravo has no casualties." Brad reported.</p><p>"Yeah heavy weapons and great training mixed with enough troops seem to turn the tide in battle most of the time," said Andre as he looked at Emily. "Didn't you have a helmet on earlier?"</p><p>"I took it off to work. It is over by reactor 2. Speaking of helmets. Where is yours? Do you not have armor?"</p><p>"I am a scout clone," Andre replied as he and Emily stepped away from the monitor, leaving Brad and Terrell to watch Bravo's progress. "I am sometimes given armor but it depends on the mission. It is cheaper for the Federation to have scout clones unarmored. I can also move more freely without it. Sometimes I need to climb trees or be in stealth capability. That works better if I don't have 30 Kilos of armor on like Brad. And I definitely couldn't do my job with 50 Kilos of armor like Terrell here," as he pointed to the hulking 228-centimeter frame of Terrell.</p><p>"I see," said Emily as she looked at Brad and Terrell, taking a moment to take in how massive Terrell was. "So I understand that the three of you are different models then. Or would you and Brad look alike if he took his armor off? Hey, you can answer that as we walk to reactor 2. I need your help with something."</p><p>"Sure. I don't mind helping a pretty girl in need," smiled Andre as he followed her to the reactor. "And no Brad and I are different models. He is slightly taller and way bulkier. He is the Standard Combat Assault model. The most common clone and considered the backbone of the Federation military. When he reported to Lucas earlier, the CA before the number denoted the Combat Assault. Basically, they are the standard line infantry. Cloned to near perfection."</p><p>Emily stopped at the end of the catwalk and turned to face him, "So if the Combat Assault models are so good, why have you and Terrell?" Emily smirked before she turned around and started to climb a ladder up the next level.</p><p>Andre smiled to himself at Emily's words as he watched her climb the ladder in front of him. Then he continued to smile at the view her skin-tight VaccSuit gave him.</p><p>"Well, any military throughout history has done better with combined arms. Terrell is absolutely vital for heavy weapons. His model is very costly in comparison but any Platoon needs at least 1 or 2 CH models. Combat Heavy. They are not as agile and they fill up a troop transport rather quickly. But having a few of them in a battle laying down lots of heavy fire sure helps. Also, CH models are the only ones with armor that allows them to stand up to a Cyrealian in hand-to-hand. Although it will usually take at least two or three CH models working together to bring down one Cyrealian in a hand to hand fight."</p><p>Andre got to the top of the ladder to find Emily waiting for him. Before he could say anything. she cocked an eyebrow and gave a coy smile, "So the CH and CA models make sense. What model are you, and what is your specialty? Helping Technicians like me...with that big gun of yours?" as she glanced at the sniper rifle that was slung across his back with the barrel sticking up past his shoulder, giving a vague ninja sword look.</p><p>"What can I say, you techs are so fun to help!" Andre half-laughed keeping Emily's obvious flirtation going.</p><p>"You said something about being a scout earlier," Swatting his teasing aside, Emily responded semi-seriously, actually wanting an answer as she continued to play hot and cold with him.</p><p>"Yes, I did. I am a scout." He answered.</p><p>"Why couldn't the CA models be taught to scout?" she inquired.</p><p>"Well, they are sometimes. Although usually in an assault recon setting," Andre answered patiently, already accustomed to playing 20 questions with a newly hatched T clone. "However I am a purpose-cloned scout that is also a sniper and also have wet work assignments. Usually, I work independently. If I am attached to a unit I stay out ahead to perform reconnaissance. Often I am on the planet's surface alone and calling in orbital strikes on hard to find targets from a concealed location. Much of the information obtained by us CS models is used to plan and coordinate our efforts against the enemy. This is all done best light and fast without armor weighing my model down."</p><p>"I guess you are not talking about scuba diving when you say wet work," Emily stated as lowered her head and looked up at Andre through her eyelashes.</p><p>"No, not scuba diving," laughed Andre "Although I am one of only two clone models that are scuba rated," he added.</p><p>"Really? Why and who else is scuba diving rated?" Emily cocked an eyebrow.</p><p>"You never know what kind of insertion method will be best for a mission," Andre answered. "And as far as I know it is just the C.S. models like myself and the C.C. models."</p><p>"What are C.C. models?" Emily asked realizing just how much she didn't know as well as thinking how dumb she must be making herself look to Andre.</p><p>"Lucas is a C.C.," Andre said.</p><p>"Oh…" Emily just looked at him wanting to know more but deciding to not ask any more questions as she had lost confidence.</p><p>"You just hatched didn't you?" Andre smiled at her.</p><p>"Ah…Yeah...I guess that is what you might call it," she answered and shifted nervously then grinned at him. "Still getting my bearings."</p><p>"Hell of a time to wake up!" he said.</p><p>"Quite." she nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Well if you have any questions I am happy to answer them for you," he reassured her. "Really I would rather my technician be as up to speed as possible in case you need to know something. Feel free to ask me anything."</p><p>"What color is your hair if you grow it out and why are you shaved bald?" Emily asked with a smile.</p><p>"That is your question. You wake up in the middle of a space battle after being cloned 75 years ago, and want to ask a bald guy about his hair!?" Andre exclaimed, both amused and incredulous.</p><p>"Well, I don't know what else to ask cause I don't really know what I don't know. I guess I could ask you to tell me about the last 75 years." Emily said.</p><p>"My hair is brown," Andre answered.</p><p>Emily giggled.</p><p>"Other than knowing my hair color if I had any, what did you want me to help you with?" Andre asked, bringing Emily's attention back to the task at hand.</p><p>"Oh, I need you to push this button," Emily said as she pointed to a green button that said start next to a small digital display that read 4:00, on the face of the explosive charge attached to the reactor. Andre immediately began reaching for the button. Emily swatted his hand away with surprising reflexes, "Not Yet! Pest will give us a signal and you push this button to start the countdown here at the exact same time I will start the timer on the other reactor." Emily instructed excitedly after almost having a mishap.</p><p>"Got it. Push-button when Pest says to push button then we run away to the escape pod I assume." Andre answered.</p><p>"Correct. And not a minute earlier. So I am going to head over to the other reactor now and stand by until Pest gives us the signal. Shouldn't be too much longer now." Emily turned to leave the little platform and head further toward the back of the room to a catwalk that crossed to the other reactor.</p><p>"Hey wait!" Andre called out to her as she started to go. "You are forgetting something."</p><p>As she turned to ask what she was forgetting, Andre plopped Emily's clear fishbowl helmet over her head. He'd found it on the floor from where she'd left it earlier and his efforts to help her out cut her off mid-sentence. He gave it the necessary turn to lock it in place, showing that he knew how her gear worked. Emily instantly blushed and silently mouthed the words thank you. She turned to go again only to have him hold onto her arm and swing her around and put her backpack on her over her rebreather in one fluid motion. He then guided her back to the walkway and sent her on the way with a pat on her lower back.</p><p>Emily, now completely embarrassed about forgetting her entire kit and helmet, started her walk back to the other reactor. As she walked she berated herself, "OMG! Why do I always lose my mind around a hot guy?" She shook her head and knocked her fist against her helmet, "Seriously get it together girl. Failed at flirting, and after obviously trying to get him alone to talk and then nose-diving the conversation and bailing in a hurry…" she hit her fist against her helmet again, "then leaving all my stuff...what is wrong with me?"</p><p>She froze as soon as she heard Andre's voice in her ear via the 'space earplug' comms. "And forgetting she has her comms on." If she was embarrassed before, now she was extremely embarrassed.</p><p>Then she heard more voices in her ear. First Brad "Hey keep going, Terrell and I loved the dialog. You are doing great." Emily could hear Terrell in the background chuckling.</p><p>Then Stacy, her sister T model, "Hey Pest has me working to reprogram this whole reactor alone down here and you are flirting with my man!"</p><p>Now Emily just wanted to die on the spot. She literally bent over and briefly considered jumping over the railing. No, I can't do that. It might not kill me and it would make the situation worse if I survived, she thought to herself.</p><p>Getting a hold of herself, Emily ran the rest of the way to the other charge that she had placed. Sitting down she took her helmet off to breathe as she was feeling claustrophobic. Removing the helmet helped only a little bit. She took the comms pieces out of her ears and put them in her helmet and set it upside down next to her. Then she refocused on what had just happened. This is probably, no definitely, the most embarrassed I have ever been. She thought quietly in her head making sure she wasn't thinking out loud. Her whole body was tingling. Ugh... he is so hot...Why do I have to be like this around hot guys?</p><p>As she played the events over in her head for a moment and thought about the other's point of view, she realized that the whole thing was pretty funny. She didn't blame them for having a fun time at her expense; she would have done the same if it had been Stacy. And she knew she earned a few laughs. She just had to suck it up and laugh too. Realizing this helped Emily get over it a bit as she started to giggle a little to herself and reach for her space earplugs.</p><p>Once Emily had her comms up and working again, she spoke over open channel again, this time on purpose. "Haha, that was pretty funny wasn't it? But seriously how do these things work? How do I change channels?"</p><p>Pest's voice came over the radio, "Ok let me walk you through a tutorial, dear."</p><p>"Thanks, Pest," Emily said.</p><p>Emily soon understood how to work the comms under Pest's instruction. It was a simple and intuitive system as soon as one had been shown what to do. After Emily had a firm grasp of the controls she decided to ask Pest a few questions about Andre and the other clones. "Pest can you tell me a little bit about the combat scouts? What are they like?"</p><p>"Well, they are excellent scouts. They fit their mission profile near perfectly," Pest answered.</p><p>"I was hoping for a little more than that, Pest. Tell me about their personality. Do they interact with my model often?" Emily wanted to know.</p><p>"Oh...Yeah, they interact with your model on occasion. Are you thinking of becoming 'romantic' with Andre?" Pest asked her. "If so I advise against it."</p><p>"Really? Why?"</p><p>"Well, your model has liked his model ever since the combat scouts went into production. And his model has had fun with your model."</p><p>"That doesn't sound so bad."</p><p>"Well if you want to have fun then no it is lots of fun and not that bad. If however, you want feeling from him in return, it is kind of disappointing. At least that is what I have heard from others of your model. He is a good time but not really capable of emotional human connection. It is because he was designed that way." Pest told her.</p><p>"Designed that way? Why was he engineered that way?"</p><p>"Because the Federation needed accurate intel unclouded by the emotion of the situation. And he is the most normal human-looking combat model. So Federation Intelligence has used him as a spy and assassin on multiple occasions. He is a borderline psychopath. Has no remorse or guilt, has little care if any for the safety of others, and can plan out complex assignments with no emotional connection to the outcome. He is mission-focused. Even his looks are a part of this. He has brown hair that can be dyed almost any color. He has an attractive symmetrical face with no features that directly stand out to describe him to authorities. His hazel eyes are easy to cover with a set of contact lenses. He is calm, cool, calculating, and charming. Everything an assassin or a spy would need to be. He is a sniper and an expert in martial arts. He fits the scout role, assassin role, and spy role, perfectly. Your model is better suited to be with a nonclone crewmember or a Combat Command model like Lucas." Pest informed her. "Andre will not love you back."</p><p>"So if I have fun with him then find someone else it won't break his heart if I leave him?" Emily asked curiously.</p><p>"No, it won't break his heart," Pest said. "Whatever you decide just keep what I have told you in the back of your mind. Don't hurt yourself by expecting love or commitment from him. Find a good member of the crew to date one day. Andre is only for play."</p><p>"Ok Pest," Emily said. "Does his model even like my model?"</p><p>"Well yes. However, since the introduction of the new P models in the last several months the Combat Scout models have definitely been highly attracted to them. Historically the Scouts have liked the Ts, but now it seems that if there is a P model clone nearby they are usually the preferred choice as of late."</p><p>"I was afraid you would say that. Any way he cannot love me so not really a big loss I guess. However, there is not a P model in the Alpha team." Emily smiled</p><p>"Ok everyone get ready!" Pest shouted over the open channel to everyone in the reactor room, cutting off the one-on-one communication with Emily. "Kaylee is at the mainframe and I am counting her down to pull my data drives and start the clock on executing the roll and ram maneuver. Stacy, look sharp! Start the reactor now and send it into overdrive as soon as I am offline."</p><p>"Roger that Pest!" Stacy said as the reactor roared to life with Stacy at the console controlling it.</p><p>"Excellent! Get to the escape pod as fast as you can once you do that," Pest commanded. "Andre and Emily, are you two ready?"</p><p>They both answered, "Yes," in unison.</p><p>"Good! 3-2-1-Now!" Pest ordered.</p><p>Andre and Emily both pressed the button on their respective charges. In 4 minutes this room, and the whole ship, would explode so violently that they would hopefully kill the enemy ship right next to them. Emily checked her surroundings to make sure she had everything this time then took off to the back of the room.</p><p>"Brad! Terrell! Go go go! You don't need to guard the door anymore; get to the escape pods with everyone else. Stacy pull me in 3-2- - - - -," Pest was gone.</p><p>Realizing this, Stacy sent the reactor into maximum overdrive past every safety protocol she had spent the past several minutes overwriting. Grabbing her gear and securing her helmet, she took off to join the others making their escape down the Jefferies tube to the rear escape pod cluster.</p><p>Andre was the first one in the tube followed just a split second later by Emily. Andre slid down the tube to the escape pod room landing right in the middle of it. There was a row of five pods open and ready to climb in and launch on either side of the small hallway room. At each end of the room was a door to seal off the ship from decompression when the pods launched. Emily landed on the floor right next to Andre with a thud.</p><p>Andre picked her up off the ground and growled, "Be quiet. There is a Cyrealian right there," he pointed just outside the door. Emily followed his gesture and looking through the large clear metal window she saw the midsection of a Cyrealian facing the other way that hadn't noticed them yet.</p><p>Just then they heard Stacy yelling excitedly from somewhere up above them in the Jefferies tube. She must have lost balance having only one arm while sliding down the tube. That was all it took for the Cyrealian to notice them and turn and ripe the door off of its frame and come crawling into the confined space with them.</p><p>Andre yelled, "Get in!" and practically picked up Emily and dove into the nearest escape pod to their right. Landing in the pod headlong, Andre used his foot to kick the lever down, closing their pod and sealing them in and the Cyrealian out.</p><p>Just then Stacy landed on top of the Cyrealian, at about mid-body. She froze for a second then screamed as she rolled off of its back. The startled Cyrealian turned to try and snap her with its pinchers in the confined space but just barely missed, only snapping on her empty sleeve meant for her missing right arm. She turned and rolled away in the very narrow space and wound up underneath the angry Cyrealian trying to deal with being in very tight quarters for its massive size.</p><p>Brad had been looking down the tube as he slid toward the escape pod area. He landed on his feet standing on the back of the Cyrealian and shot it three times in the face with his rifle before doing a roll backward down the Cyrealian's back. He stopped his roll, landing in a kneeling position with one leg up, and fired two more shots into the now very angry Cyrealian. Brad then leaped off of its back into an empty escape pod. Andre and Emily watched the close quarters battle for survival from the large window of their sealed pod.</p><p>Stacy was now crawling toward the rear of the Cyrealian underneath it as its 22 legs stabbed the deck around her. It was starting to thrash and back up a bit to get into a better position when Terrell landed on top of it as well and opened fire with his heavy blaster. The Cyrealian lost its right eye to the blaster but quickly managed to clamp down on the heavy blaster with its large pincher. With a powerful squeeze, the blaster was broken. Terrell used it to hit the Cyrealian in the head before discarding the broken equipment.</p><p>Brad yelled, "Look out, here comes another one!"</p><p>Another Cyrealian came to the doorway behind the one that was currently stuck in the small narrow room with Terrell on its back. This new Cyrealian opened fire with two plasma rifles even though Terrell was still on top of its comrade. Terrell's armor shrugged off the hits easily as he jumped in front of the Cyrealian he had been riding. The narrow room kept the Cyrealian from reaching its large pinchers around in front of it to snap at Terrell. Instead, it grabbed Terrell with its large 4 fingered arms.</p><p>Terrell yelled loudly "Grab onto something!" he jammed his broken heavy blaster into the way of the safety vacuum door at the last escape pod. This would prevent it from closing to stop the atmosphere from venting into space. As the Cyrealian pulled him to its maw he pulled a lever to close the last pod on the left across from Emily and Andre as they watched the scene unfold.</p><p>Brad reached to Stacy and shouted "Take my hand! Quick!"</p><p>Stacy grabbed Brad's hand just as Terrell manually launched the escape pod he was next to while in the grasp of a Cyrealian. Both Cyrealians and Terrell were sucked out into the vacuum of space.</p><p>Brad held onto Stacy as the air rushed out of the room, as Emily watched from her escape pod window. Emily noticed something looked wrong with Stacy's face. She was gasping for air and about to pass out. There was a hole in the empty sleeve of her suit. A thin trail of blood was coming out of the hole and being sucked out into space. Her wounded arm was causing her to bleed out while she suffocated with a lack of air in her suit. Her body thrashed and her legs kicked rapidly as she started to convulse with lack of air.</p><p>"Brad, her suit is compromised! Get her in the pod quick!" Emily shouted over the comms to Brad.</p><p>"Ok, I am bracing myself and then pulling her in!" Brad shouted back. Brad started pulling her closer to the pod against the torrent of wind trying to rip her from his hands.</p><p>Just then another Cyrealian was pulled out with the atmosphere from somewhere in the ship. It was clawing and scratching at every surface it could, trying to stop itself from being sucked out. Its front pinchers managed to get ahold of the door and stop it from flying out the opening where the missing escape pod had been at the end of the room. It frantically jabbed its legs into anywhere it could to gain a footing as the air rushed past it with hurricane force. One of its legs speared Stacy right in the midsection as Emily and Andre watched. From the looks of it, the spiky Cyrealian leg went straight through her navel and pinned her like an insect on display to the wall.</p><p>Brad unable to see what had happened still held onto Stacy not letting her go as he braced his legs in the doorway of his pod and leaned back. He continued to pull for all he was worth. Just then another Cyrealian was pulled out and slammed into the one that had Stacy pinned. Both of them lost their footing and quickly were pulled into the vacuum of space. As the one with the thick spiky leg through Stacy exited the ship, it tore Stacy in half at the midsection. With the suit still snagged on its claw much of the suit went with her lower half out of the ship with the Cyrealian. With Stacy's top portion now free, Brad fell back into his pod with all that was left of her and closed the pod door sealing it off from the vacuum. Finally, a security door closed somewhere, stopping their ship from venting all of its atmosphere. The noise of the air rushing by stopped.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Emily asked over her comms.</p><p>Brad answered "I am and I have the top ⅓ of Stacy with me. She didn't make it."</p><p>Andre followed up with "We saw happened to her? You did all you could man. These things happen. And Terrell did the right thing. We should all be so lucky as to kill 4 Cyrealians," Andre said.</p><p>Just then they felt the ship's engines come alive and the thrusters started to roll the ship as it rumbled to life.</p><p>"The ship is starting its roll!" Exclaimed Emily.</p><p>"PIck a seat and buckle up. I hear launching in one of these can be rough." Andre said. "You will see the surface of Signa-4 soon Emily," he smiled and pointed to one of the other escape pod windows.</p><p>The Pod was an octagonal shape. It had 8 trapezoid-shaped windows. One of them was a little smaller and was set in the one door the pod had. There was seating for 8 crew members in the pod. One seat below each of the 8 windows. Each seat had a 5 point harness to secure its occupant.</p><p>"I suggest we strap in now," Andre said as he chose a seat and sat down. Then he looked up at Emily who had her face glued to the window.</p><p>"Oh, I can see it now!" Emily said, looking at a planet from space for the first time ever in her 19 years. Signa-4 came more into view as the ship picked up speed in its roll. The thrusters were fully engaged, causing a low rumble that shook the pod. At this point, the planet took up the whole view out of the window of the escape pod.</p><p>"Buckle up buttercup," Andre said in a warning tone knowing what it felt like to have a rough take-off and landing.</p><p>"Ok, Ok," Emily said as she sat down across from the window she decided would have the best view.</p><p>Just as she was getting buckled in, the pod was launched with a jolt out into space. The boosters then engaged and the pod took off, racing for the planet as the G force pressed heavily on Emily's chest. Emily strained to breathe against the G force at first until the quick booster stage was finished. She looked out the window and saw hundreds of pods all racing away from the FSS Budapest. Then she looked and caught a glimpse of the Cyrealian ship. Wow, it was twice the size of the Budapest. And it was Blue. Blue with green lights running the length of it. Emily thought it looked more organic in shape with its curves than the Federation ship it was attacking.</p><p>Then the dark sky was lit up by streaks of green plasma missiles being launched from the Cyrealian ship. Some were streaking towards the pods and others the FSS Budapest. Then the danger of the situation hit home for Emily. The Cyrealians were trying to destroy the FSS Budapest before it could ram them. If they succeeded in shooting the Budapest down they may somehow stop the plan Pest had of ramming them and taking both ships out at once.</p><p>A green flash closeby caught her attention as a plasma missile blew up a pod close by. She was reassured a moment later to hear Brad over her comms channel. "That was a close one!" Clearly, the idea to launch all the pods at once was working. Each pod destroyed by a Cyrealian missile would most likely be empty after all. This increased everyone's chances of making it to the surface.</p><p>Emily noticed the fighters now buzzing around, shooting at the Cyrealian ship and what must be Cyrealian fighters too. The Cyrealian fighters were much larger and slower. They looked much tougher but lacked the mobility of the Federation fighters. Emily was used to the X shaped dragonfly fighter. These newer models however had a round clear bubble cockpit for the pilot instead of the angular one she remembered. However, the rest of the fighter seemed much like the classic SF-203 Dragonfly fighter she remembered. There was also a new Federation fighter Emily didn't recognize.</p><p>"Hey, Andre, what is that new fighter? The Federation one that is bigger than the Dragonfly. It looks like a U-shape with a pilot in the middle. Almost a horseshoe shape. With a clear all-glass cockpit in the middle of it."</p><p>"That is the Kestrel," he answered her. Smiling in amusement at her fascination with the battle she was in as opposed to being afraid. "It is the smallest warp-capable fighter in the Federation. It is also capable of atmospheric flight as well as space flight. It is a favorite for planet defense because of being able to take off from a landing pad and fly into orbit, then even warp to another planet and conduct a mission then fly back."</p><p>"Wow!" Emily said as she stared out the window at the new fighters with her mouth open and eyes wide in childlike excitement. "I am surprised they still use the Dragonfly if they have the Kestrel now."</p><p>"Well, the Dragonfly is 1/10 the cost of a Kestrel and is actually better at close-in dogfighting. However, it still is completely unshielded and totally incapable of in-atmosphere flight. It trades safety and range for being much more agile and capable up close. Also, it takes only ⅓ the room of the Kestrel in a ship's hanger. So you can carry 300% more fighters to battle using the super cheap Dragonfly."</p><p>"Oh, I see. What about the cockpit? It looks different than I remember for a Dragonfly." Emily said watching fighters zip all-around locked in the battle surrounding them.</p><p>"They make the cockpits out of one piece of clear metallic glass. Extremely cheap to mass-produce and make many of them quickly. The controls and pilot seats are connected to the body of the fighter and stick out into the bubble that totally surrounds the pilot. This gives them as clear of a view of the battle as any pilot can hope for. Some P models say it is like they are not even in a ship and just strap wings on and fly." Andre explained to her.</p><p>The battle raged with the P models performing admirably to clear the way for survivors of the FSS Budapest. The Kestrels flew in a tight formation to protect the shuttles and took out a few Cyrealian fighters. The Dragonfly fighters attacked the Cyrealian fighters and made short work of them.</p><p>"Change your comms channel to the Battle Net," said Andre as he smiled at Emily sitting across from him before looking back up over her head and out the large trapezoid window into space. They both continued watching the battle as they raced away from the Cyrealain missiles toward the surface of Signa-4.</p><p>Emily quickly did as Andre said and was soon listening to the chatter of all the Pilots engaged in battle around them. She had no idea which pilots were speaking. Emily was just glad to listen to the battle net and hear what was being said by those P models in the middle of a fight.</p><p>"Two missiles heading for a shuttle!"</p><p>"Got em!"</p><p>"Look out we have pods launching from the Cyrealian ship."</p><p>"Tracking. Mandy, Tina, you two follow me we need to shoot those pods. They may have brood mothers on board."</p><p>"Aye Ma'am!" came two replies.</p><p>"Hey, girls looks like Budapest is making contact."</p><p>Emily looked back out another window to see the Budapest slam into the Cyrealian ship. Both ships were starting to buckle from the impact. The Budapest was on fire from all the missile and plasma strikes she was taking. Many of the green lights on the Cyrealian ship went out near the impact area. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity from the Cyrealian ship. Missiles and pods starting launching from it in mass all up and down the sides of the enemy vessel. There were some fighters launching as well and what looked like shuttles.</p><p>"There are too many of them!"</p><p>"Keep it together!"</p><p>"No, my sensors cannot target all of them!"</p><p>"Mine either! Switching to visual fire control."</p><p>"Roger, doing the same!"</p><p>"ETA on Budapest blowing up?"</p><p>"Um...Looks like.. Wow hold on. 4-3-2-1"</p><p>Emily watched the ships intertwin from the impact while listening to the countdown. Instantly all the chatter fell quiet. A white light lit up the sky starting from inside the FFS Budapest. As the initial flash faded away there was not much left of the Budapest other than large chunks of debris on fire. The Cyrealian ship was not doing much better. The rear section of the Cyrealian ship seemed still together. Then, it too exploded but not nearly as spectacularly as the Budapest had.</p><p>"Hey babes! Looks like the Budapest cleared out most of those pods and several missiles too!"</p><p>"Where is Mandy?"</p><p>"She got taken out by the explosion too."</p><p>"Ok girls time to rally. We need to finish off those pods and quickly!"</p><p>"What about the enemy shuttles?"</p><p>A gruff male voice crackled over the channel "This is Commander Hrothgar. Take out the enemy shuttles first. Pods are secondary. If they have shuttles in play then they will have air mobility on the surface making our job of killing them harder. They could mount a counter-attack or move brood mothers around and hide them. We need to deny them that ability. Taking the shuttles out of play will help us mount a successful defense of Signa-4 until the fleet gets here."</p><p>"Aye Sir! You heard him, ladies! Takedown the enemy shuttles."</p><p>"Kestrels! Fly cap and get our shuttles to Station-2. Our fighters cannot fly in Atmo."</p><p>"Solid copy on that. Heading to the Surface to follow our shuttles and crew. Give 'em hell!"</p><p>"If any of us survive we will orbit the planet in shutdown mode to provide fighter cover in case more Cyrealians show up. At least until our oxygen runs out."</p><p>"Good Hunting!"</p><p>"Heads up a shuttle is way out ahead of us looks like it is about to catch up to our escape pods."</p><p>"Missiles incoming to the pods as well!"</p><p>Emily looked out the window and saw several green plasma missiles streaking towards the escape pods. Then felt the pod shake violently! "Did we get hit!" She yelled.</p><p>Andre said "That is the atmosphere. We are starting to experience turbulence from entering the atmosphere of Signa-4. The heat shield and dampers take most of the shock but it is still a bumpy ride. Hold on!"</p><p>Emily looked out the window over Andre's head and saw an enemy missile take out an escape pod. She looked up toward where the Cyrealian ship had been to see a few of the missiles left catching up to them. The started to impact a few of the pods. Then all of a sudden the rest of the missiles started to dissipate, lose control, or just explode.</p><p>"Escape pods and our suttles are in reentry now; the plasma missiles are no longer a threat."</p><p>"Maybe not to you down there they aren't. Hehe"</p><p>"Don't rub it in Tina! You girls in the Dragonflys get to have all the fun."</p><p>"Yes, we do!"</p><p>"Any Cyrealian fighters left?"</p><p>"No, and we are about done with the shuttles up here as well a few pods made it throu…. Wait! We have a problem!"</p><p>"Report!"</p><p>"A shuttle got through flying close formation with the missile salvo!"</p><p>"On it! I am closest!"</p><p>"Stephanie I am flying up to assist you, our shuttles have it from here."</p><p>"OK, Courtney. I am above them, you come up from below."</p><p>Emily craned her neck to look out each window of the escape pod trying to see the action. Her escape pod was in the upper atmosphere and shaking violently as they streaked across the sky of this alien world. There way above them she could see the enemy transport shuttle closing in and the Dragonfly fighter close behind. The Dragonfly opened fire at the shuttle but the atmosphere stopped most of the heated plasma from reaching the target. The fighter and shuttle were close to the escape pod now. The Dragonfly was starting to get rocked by the air it was not meant to fly through. Just then it scored a hit at near point-blank range to the shuttle. Emily could see the P model, named Stephanie apparently, at the controls of her fighter. Stephanie tried again to shoot the enemy and scored another hit that caused the enemy ship to twist and spiral a bit. Then a piece of the ship flew off and slammed into Stephaine's cockpit. The small Dragonfly fighter instantly broke apart at the impact.</p><p>"Stephanie did a number on them! I can finish them off!" Courtney's voice crackled over the radio.</p><p>"Get em, girl!"</p><p>Courtney fired a missile up at the incoming shuttle and it was a direct hit. It exploded into a large fireball.</p><p>"Solid hit babe! Well done!"</p><p>Just then the parachute opened up and the escape pod with Emily and Andre shook hard at the sudden slowing down but then started to drift lazily to the ground. Emily looked out of the window and could see Courtney's fighter take a hit or two from the debris field caused by the exploding enemy shuttle. Her fighter started to smoke.</p><p>"I am hit. Going down. I say again. I am hit but still have flight control. Going to come up just a little short of the station. I will set the fighter down and walk-in if I can."</p><p>"Ok. Let us know when you land and about how far out from the station you are. There may be escape pods near you. Remember they are not landing on the landing pad either."</p><p>"Roger, solid copy."</p><p>"We should be on the surface in just a few minutes. You can see the jungle we are going to land in out the window now." Andre said to Emily. "Oh and take your helmet off. I am going to start to pressurize the pod now."</p><p>"But the pod already has pressure. Why do I need to take my helmet off for that?" Emily asked.</p><p>"Well, this escape pod is pressurized for earth normal atmospheric pressure. The air pressure on the surface of Signa-4 is double that of Earth. The outside pressure is already more than the pressure inside the pod." He answered her. "Taking your helmet off will let you start getting used to the pressure before we land and open the capsule door"</p><p>Emily slowly took her helmet off while Andre worked with the pod's controls. She could hear a slight hiss sound. Andre had started letting the pressure inside the pod to equalize with the outside pressure as they drifted toward the jungles of Signal-4. Emily wondered what adventures awaited them on the surface.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Emily and Andre are now landing on Signa-4! What adventures await them on the surface? Read and find out!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the escape pod drifted lazily toward the jungle Emily took a moment to ponder Pest. In a way, she was the closest thing to a mother Emily had ever had. Emily never got to know the woman who gave birth to her more than 94 years ago. Her dad told her about her mom dying as a result of a tragic jaywalking accident when Emily was only 1 year old. The driver of the vehicle had been fined but that was all.</p><p>Emily vividly remembered her life up until being cloned. Especially her time at the Federation's Fleet Academy. However, a few key details had been wiped from her memory. One of them was her original name. That didn't matter now. She had a new name in this life, Emily. She remembered being excited to be the chosen cadet at graduation. She remembered parts of her life here and there. However, it all seemed like a distant dream compared to this new one she was in. In this life, it was Pest who gave birth to her in the cloning bay. It was Pest who had watched over her and provided equipment to her. It was Pest who had helped her after her first embarrassment with the comm equipment. And yes it had been Pest to give her advice about men.</p><p>Emily missed Pest now that she was gone. She looked up to see if she could see any parts of the ship still in orbit. They had drifted too far into the atmosphere to see out into the stars at this point. All Emily could do was remember her mom, Pest, sacrificing her life in a final act to try and protect Emily and the others as they fled out into the unknown. Leaving the nest, so to say, in the most spectacular fashion possible.</p><p>"One minute," Andre said, breaking Emily out of her thoughts.</p><p>"What was that?" Emily asked, making her way out of her head and back into reality.</p><p>"We will be down in less than a minute now," Andre said again. "With any luck, our parachute will get hung up in a tree and our pod will not reach the floor of the jungle."</p><p>Fully intrigued, Emily asked, "Is that a good thing? Why do we not want to be on the floor of the jungle?"</p><p>"There are lots of dangers on the jungle floor. We have a better chance of making it to the station if we stay in the trees as much as possible. One big threat is quicksand. Judging by where we are coming down, we are a few kilometers south of Station 2. The jungle floor will be about 60% quicksand between us and the station." Andre informed her as he pulled out a piece of gum and put it in his mouth. He looked up, already chewing, and handed another piece to Emily. "Chew some gum to help your ears."</p><p>"Oh, thanks! My ears are killing me!" Emily hurriedly threw the gum in her mouth and started to chew with gusto.</p><p>"Careful don't choke!" Andre laughed as he watched her enthusiasm.</p><p>His dimples really looked cute. As Emily stared at him she tried to think of something witty to say back to him about choking. She almost blurted out I don't have a gag reflex! but thought better of it. So she just sat and smiled at him for a few moments like a simpleton.</p><p>"Gee you really like gum," an amused Andre said to the vacantly smiling Emily.</p><p>Emily, snapping out of it, decided she had to say something to the hot guy staring at her with amused concern and just went with what was already in her head. "I don't have-"</p><p>The pod jerked violently causing Emily to choke on her gum mid-sentence. "We just hit a tree!" Andre said, "Wait, are you ok? Emily are you ok?" as he noticed her choking.</p><p>Emily coughed mightily with the next jolt of the pod, sending the piece of gum across the pod back at Andre. It hit him in his upper chest and bounced off his toned pecs.</p><p>"Oh my!" was his response. After taking a moment he asked, "What were you saying?"</p><p>Emily just turned red with embarrassment and wished she was sinking in that quicksand right about now.</p><p>After a series of hard hits and turns and nearly tipping over twice the pod finally stopped its descent. It bounced like it was on a giant rubber band a few times as the limbs holding the parachute bowed under the strain then began to swing to and fro like a big tire swing.</p><p>Emily looked out the windows at the massive trees they were caught in. "Whoa! These trees are huge," she exclaimed.</p><p>"Yeah, they are about 100 meters tall. Some of the big ones can get to 150 meters tall, or about as tall as a 45 story building," Andre said as he unbuckled his harness. "I think it is safe to undo the restraints now," he got up to look out and get a better view.</p><p>Emily, still flushed and embarrassed, couldn't help but think about how the hot guy she was trapped in close quarters with had said 'I think it is safe to undo the restraints now'. Luckily he was turned the other way and not facing her now. She unbuckled her harness and also stood up in the pod. Emily took in the view with mouth agape, looking at the vibrant jungle and seeing how high off the ground they were.</p><p>"We still need to wait about 1 more minute to let the pressure equalize before opening the pod. Let's establish radio communication with the station." Andre sat down in a seat across from the door next to the communications panel. He picked up the handset to make a call to Station 2 and looked over at Emily. "Don't you need to change?" He smiled at her then clicked the handset. "Station 2, Station 2, this is C.S.3975. Station 2, Station 2, this is C.S.3975. Do you copy? Over."</p><p>As soon as Andre released the handset to await a response from Station 2 Emily responded, "Does that ever work? Asking a girl to change while you are sitting right there?"</p><p>"Sometimes!" he smiled. "You T models are sometimes a little naive, but things have changed a bit in the last 75 years. But you can change after I get out of the pod if you prefer. I need to climb up and get a visual on the station before we head out."</p><p>The radio came to life "C.S.3975 this is Station 2. How many in your pod? Over."</p><p>Andre quickly answered "Only two survivors in this pod. Myself and T-" he looked up at Emily.</p><p>Emily took the handset and said, "T302."</p><p>The voice came back, "Good we could use a few Technicians and Scouts here. Stand by while we triangulate your position. Key your handset 5 times in succession for us to pick up the static burst."</p><p>Emily handed the handset back to Andre who pressed the button on the side of it 5 times in a row.</p><p>"Excellent. We have your location plotted. Looks like you are about 4 kilometers due south of us. Our records show you have experience on Signa-4. You know the drill. There is no passcode when you reach the station's perimeter fence. If you are human the guards will let you in. We are not expecting spies and there are not solid enough comms with all the pods dropping in. Station 2 Over and Out." And just like that, the conversation was over.</p><p>"Wow, it is hot in here!" Emily said. "Is it from reentry?"</p><p>"Maybe a little," said Andre. "It is about 45 °C. So yeah, it is hot for wearing that skin-tight, full-body spacesuit designed to keep you warm in the vacuum of space." He paused and looked at her for a moment, letting pressure build, then turned to get his rifle and backpack.</p><p>Emily considered changing in front of him right then with how stifling it was in this suit. Not in this escape pod. Not in this hot tight suit, in an escape pod, with a hot guy flirting heavily with her. She couldn't let him get her naked that easily! No she would just sweat until he left.</p><p>"The pressure is about equalized now," Andre said as he checked the panel next to the door. "I am going to climb up and get my bearings. I will be back in a few minutes."</p><p>Oh, thank goodness! Emily thought, relieved she didn't have to wait any longer.</p><p>Andre opened up the pod door and let it swing to the left and around until it was fully open against the outside of the pod. Gravity kept the door open as the pod continued to sway from the parachute cords high above the jungle floor.</p><p>What hit Emily first was how humid it was. The humidity was insane with the atmospheric pressure being twice that of Earth. Also, this was clearly a rainforest they were in. The next thing she noticed was all the color! The greens were extra green and varied but the flowers! All of the colors that captured her attention were in the flowers and they were so vibrant. And the sounds. The sounds of the jungle were continuous and kinda loud. Birds, maybe, frogs too, even insects with their buzzing and other sounds she could not categorize.</p><p>"Ok see the green vines over there?" Andre motioned for Emily to come closer as he pointed towards said vines. "Those are Flypaper vines." Andre pointed.</p><p>"Uh...where, oh those yes I do," Emily answered.</p><p>"See how sticky they look?" Andre continued.</p><p>"Yeah like they are wet." Emily took note and also mentally giggled, thinking of all the tension that had built between them since the station.</p><p>"That is a very sticky sap. Don't touch them. If you need to you can eat these vines in a survival situation. Just cut them off in sections first. The sap smells very good and is quite tasty but is acidic. Giving it a sweet and spicy flavor. Like a Jalapeno/Orange sort of, but a little sweeter. Don't eat too much of it raw! Boil or cook it somehow to break down the acid if you need to make a meal of it."</p><p>"Why is it bad to touch it?" Emily wanted to know.</p><p>"It is carnivorous." Emily's mouth dropped into an open o. "If you are not careful it will eat you instead of you eating it," Andre said as he reached out and with his index finger helped Emily close her mouth. "Look over there. See that bulge in that vine below us off to the left?" He pointed to the example he was talking about. "Looks like that vine got a careless GreenOtang."</p><p>Emily saw the bulge move and wiggle a little in a nearly transparent green sack. "It's alive still!"</p><p>"Yeah and it will be for a while," he said. "Until it melts with the digestive juices and is absorbed into the vine, it will wriggle for a little while yet."</p><p>"How does a vine...well...how?" Emily asked with wide eyes.</p><p>"Mostly they eat insects, and the insects are really big here. However, they eat whatever gets stuck to them if they can. If you get stuck to one cut it and drop to the ground quickly. Otherwise, that sweet sticky sap will start to digest you as more of it is secreted as the sack forms around you." He pointed to a close vine. "See the rings every meter or two like a bamboo ring?"</p><p>"Yes," Emily said, her fascination with this new plant and place growing. She decided at this moment that it was good she had Andre to guide her in this alien jungle. She had better learn all she could and fast.</p><p>"Those rings are where the sack comes from. The ring is anchored there and opens up and travels down the vine covering whatever was stuck to it when it was triggered. It trails a thin but strong membrane behind it. When it gets to the next ring after passing the prey, it fastens itself to it, sealing whatever creature is caught in a digestion sack to slowly work on." Andre looked at Emily and continued the lesson, "See the brown vines?"</p><p>"Yes," Emily answered wondering what these vines did.</p><p>"These are safe; you can climb them." And with that Andre leaped out of the capsule and grabbed a vine and swung out and away before climbing up into the canopy of the jungle with the agility and skill of a monkey. Emily watched with a mixture of awe and envy. Andre was off the vine and onto a large tree branch above her in no time. He looked down at her and gave a wave before turning to climb higher. Emily waved back even though by now he wasn't paying attention. But then remembering he would only be gone a moment, Emily now left alone in her metal nest dangling in a jungle with flypaper vines. Emily stepped back away from the capsule door to find her backpack.</p><p>The biology lesson was over and now she remembered how hot and stifling this suit was. She quickly found her khaki shorts and a tank top. She rummaged around a bit more for her socks and underwear. Then she got out her hiking shoes. Briefly, she thought I hope these are the right size! Before remembering that she was a clone and of course they are the right size. This made her giggle slightly as she undid her suit. The perks of being a clone, she thought as she peeled herself out of her skin-tight space suit, aided by how slick she was with sweat. As soon as she was out of the suit and naked as the day she was born she reached for her panties and started to put them on. However, with the pod swinging and her standing on one foot, she quickly fell over into one of the seats. Glad Andre didn't see that! Quickly she finished getting her panties on and took a minute to relax in her seat and enjoy the slight breeze on her body as she reclined. It still felt like being in a steam room but was more bearable. That suit may be great for working outside a ship in space but is no good here in the jungle. She opened her eyes after a few moments to look out the windows above her. She wondered if she could see Andre up there in the trees above her. Wait a minute! If I could see him he could look down into the windows and see me changing if he wanted to. I wonder if he is... She kinda blushed but was too relaxed and relieved to be able to change that she didn't care if he saw her. He surely had seen other T model clones naked before anyway. She let her mind wander to what it would be like if he was in the pod with her now. Part of her hoped that he might be spying. How would his face look as his eyes took in the sight of her lounging in just her panties? What would he-</p><p>The moment was broken as the escape pod radio had a burst of static before a voice crackled through, "-y station… any st-. This is -08. Any Station do you copy?"</p><p>Emily's training took over as she quickly moved to the radio and responded, "This is T302, I am picking you up with interference. How copy? Over."</p><p>The voice came back, "Have you the same," Came the reply. "Signal -trong, we a- close. Jung- -terferance."</p><p>"Roger," Emily said. Thinking quickly she continued with direction to base as per training, "We are due south of Station 2, 4 clicks. I say again. Due south of Station 2, 4 clicks. Fire a flare so we can get your 20. I say again, fire a flare so we can get your 20. Over"</p><p>A moment later she heard, "-opy, 4 cl- outh of -tion. I ss- ain. - clicks sou- station. -tand by - for flare, stand - for flare."</p><p>Emily put the handset down and moved to the pod door to look outside and used her short distance 'space earplugs' to contact Andre. "Andre keep your eyes open for a flare."</p><p>"What?" Andre sounded surprised.</p><p>"Someone is in the jungle close by and cannot contact Station 2. They need an assist from us to get their bearings." She answered.</p><p>"They are going to fire a flare?" He asked again. "Tell them to wait! There is a giant Pterocephalopod flying around!"</p><p>"A what?!"</p><p>"Pterodactyl Squid!"</p><p>Just then she heard a distant pop and heard a trailing hiss sound as a flare was fired not too far away down somewhere in the jungle. She could barely make out an orange glow a couple of hundred meters away before the flare went out. With a wet hissing noise, it landed in the water on the jungle floor. The jungle immediately came alive with all manner of noise and activity. A flock of hundreds of colorful birds larger than the parrots of Earth took flight nearby and flew through the trees around the pod and off away from the flare. They all made shrill cawing sounds filling the air with excitement and beautiful vibrant shades of red, blue, and yellow. Emily ducked into the pod for just a moment as a few of them flew close by with 4 wings flapping. Sticking her head back out, she saw a few of the colorful birds get stuck to some of the flypaper vines.</p><p>"I got their location!" Andre said over the radio. "A clear area without trees just to the east about half a klick."</p><p>"Roger, solid copy," Emily answered. She looked around to see some large ape-like green creatures with 4 front limbs and two shorter hind limbs traveling in a group of about 70 or 80 she guessed. They were all calling with a Whooot Whooot Whooot, sound as they made their way through the upper canopy above her. They were close to Andre no doubt.</p><p>Emily returned to the communications panel on the far side of the pod away from the door. "We have your location. I say again, we have your location. You are a half klick due east of us. You are a half a klick due east of us. How copy? Over."</p><p>The reply came back "Roger solid copy due-"</p><p>The rest of the transmission was drowned out by a loud roar that seemed to come from everywhere. It was a loud, low, and deep sounding roar. Clearly from a massive creature.</p><p>"Emily! Tell them to get away from the clearing and into the trees quickly!" Andre yelled. "I am on my way back to the pod. We will meet them halfway, on a small patch of dry grassy ground, I spotted between us! Tell them to go now!"</p><p>Emily didn't wait, "Get into the trees; we will meet you halfway! I say again, get to the trees, we will meet you halfway. Meet us at the small grassy area."</p><p>Emily looked up out of the large trapezoid-shaped window above the comms panel to see Andre sliding down a brown vine quickly as a dark shape with large wings passed over the jungle canopy. "Oh shit!" She exclaimed at seeing the large roaring flying monster pass at the same time she realized she was still just in her panties and Andre was almost back to the pod. There was no asking him to wait outside either!</p><p>She grabbed her top and put it on quickly. She sat down and put her feet into the khaki shorts and stood up, pulling them up as fast as she could. She vaguely remembered getting dressed this quickly once at the Academy when her roommate returned to their dorm and Emily had had a boy over. Yet this time she was getting dressed quickly so the boy she wanted to be naked with didn't catch her naked. She found her hiking shoes and socks laying in a seat next to the pack just as Andre swung into the pod.</p><p>"You ready to go?" Andre asked.</p><p>"I just need to put my shoes on then I am," she smiled, trying to look not as flushed as she felt. "Hey! Weren't you wearing pants earlier?"</p><p>"Yeah, I turn those combat pants into cargo shorts with my knife every time I go out in the jungle here. Just too hot for pants." He answered. Then taking note of her attire he continued. "You may want to put your tank top on forwards instead of backward unless that is a new style you are going for. Or is that how you used to wear tank tops in your day? If so I think I would've liked living back then," he grinned mischievously.</p><p>"Uh...yeah." was all she managed to say.</p><p>"Yeah what?" Andre laughed back. "Are you starting a new trend? I hope the P models follow suit too!"</p><p>Not amused at him thinking about the P models in such a way while looking at her, Emily changed her tone a bit, "No I am not starting a new trend." she huffed and pulled her arms in and rotated the top around to its correct orientation. Sticking her arms back out she finished tying her shoes as he opened a compartment under the comms panel.</p><p>Andre pulled out a waterproof hard case and opened it. Inside she could see a first aid kit and some rations. Andre put these in his backpack and then held up some flares. "These may come in handy," he said and put 3 of them in his equipment vest and handed her 3 more. "You know how to use these right?"</p><p>"Yes, take the cap off and put it on the bottom then hit it. It shoots a large flare," she responded still brooding over the P model comment he made.</p><p>"That's right! Now let's head out. That pod of survivors likely has not been on the surface of Singa-4 before. Besides, there is safety traveling in numbers here." Andre said as he tightened down his gear and shouldered his pack. "Remember to climb down on brown vines only," he pulled the two straps on his backpack cinching it up tight to his back. "Follow me and do what I do. I don't know what we are going to encounter down there so stay close." He checked his rifle and slung it over his back and climbed out of the pod and clung to the outside to wait on Emily.</p><p>Emily finished tying her hiking shoes and put her pack on. She grabbed her plasma rifle and put two reloads of 100 rounds each on her belt. "I'm ready to go, but you said earlier that the floor of the Jungle is 60% quicksand," she said. Emily stepped up to the door and slung her rifle over her back.</p><p>"Yeah going to the jungle floor is not ideal at all in this area. Other places on this continent are better for being low in the jungle." He looked over to her and continued, "However, we don't have a choice. There is a large predatory creature flying around. Asking a whole escape pod full of people to climb into the canopy to meet on some random tree branch is neither practical nor safe. One thing is going for us though. It's still day time for 10 more hours. Let's find them before something else does."</p><p>Andre leaped out and grabbed a brown vine closest to where their pod was hanging and began to climb down. Emily took a deep breath and when Andre was a ways below her she jumped out and grabbed the same vine and followed him down. The vine swung a bit but not as much as she thought it would. It was rather sturdy. Well, it seemed much sturdier than the green vines looked.</p><p>As Emily climbed down she took a quick break to look around her and take in the sights. She was about one-third of the way to the ground at this point she guessed. These trees were truly massive. At least as tall as the giant sequoias back on earth but much bigger around. Maybe 20 meters across at the base and some even more. She noticed one of those very large 4 winged parrot-like birds stuck to a flypaper vine next to her within reaching distance. The vine was about halfway done swallowing the bird with its thin almost transparent green membrane. Looking down she saw Andre stepping onto a tree branch and getting off the vine. She decided to keep going.</p><p>When she reached the branch Andre was standing on, he reached out his hand and said, "Good job, see this jungle isn't so bad, and climbing down is kinda fun."</p><p>Emily took his hand and left the vine she had been clinging to. She was happy for some solid footing the tree offered. Clearly, a bit winded from using her less muscular upper body she was just happy to be using her feet again.</p><p>"Come here, you will like this," Andre said as he turned to walk towards the trunk of the tree Emily following close behind. The tree branch was about 3 meters wide and was enormous. The top of it was even flat and made an easy path to follow to the main trunk where it grew from. "Up here," he said as he led on, climbing just a few steps up once he reached the trunk. He laid low, his toned body against the tree. Quietly he lifted his head up and peered over the top of an open area in the middle of the trunk. He smiled and waved her to come up too and look. He put his finger to his lips to motion that she should keep quiet.</p><p>As Emily joined him in looking at the top of this massive tree she saw a pool of water. It was about the size of one of those above ground pools that her brothers talked her dad into buying one summer. Surrounding the edge of the pool were all sorts of winged animals and green looking ape things again. The edge of the pool was covered in mosses that sprouted flowers every color of the rainbow. Some of the flowers were coin-sized and others as big as her head. She could see insects or hummingbird like creatures buzzing around from flower to flower. Then she breathed in the fragrance of the flowers.</p><p>Seeing her stare at the apes again Andre said, "Those are what we call the 'greenotangs," he pointed them out, "They are absolutely everywhere here."</p><p>"Are they dangerous at all?" Emily asked, looking at a human-sized creature with four long Orangutan like front arms, and smaller hind legs.</p><p>"Not in the least," Andre responded. "They eat lots of fruit as they are growing up but eat much less once they are about human-sized. See their small mouths? They don't even have teeth."</p><p>Emily took note of their heads and how they looked very similar to a sloth. "They are hairless!" Emily whispered to Andre.</p><p>"Yeah, their skin looks and feels about like a tree frog. No hair at all on their bodies. The science officer I was escorting last week said that they stay near the top of the trees near sunlight during the day because they are capable of photosynthesis." Andre explained.</p><p>"You mean like a plant?" Emily said surprised.</p><p>"Yeah, this place is kind of backward. The plants are just as likely to be carnivorous as the animals here. Most of the plants eat these greenotangs. It is a good thing they lay at least one egg every day, sometimes as many as 3 a day. There is no male or female either. They mate to fertilize each other's eggs a few times a day, a few times as a male and a few times as a female, etc. We had one as a pet back at station 4 until we realized it was laying so many eggs. Since it was both male and female we named it Pat." Andre laughed at the memory. Clearly, he was fond of this place.</p><p>"Wow poor fellas," remarked Emily.</p><p>"Yeah, but they are a little less smart than chickens are back home. They reproduce in mass numbers and once they are fully grown in about 6 months they just need sunlight to keep going. Think of them as very cute spinach." Andre chuckled. "Spinach that moves around a lot and is funny, but an important part of the food chain."</p><p>Andre stood up and all the birds stopped chirping and froze. "We need to keep going and our destination is on the other side of this pool," with that, he stepped up onto the ledge of the pool and most of the birds flew away and only a few of the greenotangs took note of his presence but did not otherwise respond. Then Andre jumped into the water and swam to the other side of the pool and crawled out. "Most of the time these pools are sort of safe." He said as he got out of the crystal clear water on the other side.</p><p>Emily not to be outdone by the hot guy she liked climbed up and jumped in the pool next and swam across. Reaching the other side, Andre reached out his hand to help her. Soon as he had Emily's hand in his, he picked her straight up out of the water and set her on the side of the pool next to him. "Shall we continue after that refreshing swim?" he said before turning to continue down another large tree branch.</p><p>Emily did feel much better after her swim. She shook her hair out a little bit and started to follow Andre, turning to say goodbye to a massive greenotang a little larger than her. The greenotang just made a low whooot sound in response as she left.</p><p>Andre and Emily stopped after the large branch they were on took a turn to the right next to several hanging vines. "That tree is growing next to the grassy clearing we are going to meet them in." Andre pointed. "Almost there!"</p><p>Before Emily could acknowledge his statement he jumped for a brown vine and started to climb down. Quickly she followed him, landing on another massive branch only about 20 meters above the wet swampy jungle floor.</p><p>There was a distant roar from overhead. Andre looked off to where it came from and smiled. "Looks like the pterosquid is moving away from us now. Come on, we should be good from here." They walked to the trunk of the tree. It wasn't hard to get to the other side of a trunk and see which branch stuck out over the dry grassy area that turned out to be a small hill covering about half an acre. Quickly walking out from the trunk and down the branch, they reached as close to the middle of the hill as they could. Once there they climbed down the only vine hanging from the branch. It was only about 4 meters from the branch to the dry ground.</p><p>Once on the ground, Emily enjoyed the feeling of solid earth under her feet. For as good at climbing and scouting, Andre was, Emily thought he looked happy too. She took a moment to look around and see where they were. Looking up she could see the sunshine in the gap in the trees. There were a few small clouds high in the upper atmosphere. But it was an otherwise beautiful day with a clear blue sky. Looking around at the other end of the meadow she saw a grove of tall gorgeous flowers. They had thick light green stems that were 2 to 3 meters tall. The actual flowers were the biggest she had ever seen. The petals were pink and blue. At the center of the flower, there were 3 bright yellow shoots with their tips curled at the end.</p><p>"Andre, what kind of flowers are those?" Emily asked, mesmerized by these giant beauties.</p><p>"Actually I have no idea." Andre shrugged. "I haven't ever seen them before. I spent most of my time on Signa-4 a long way from here. I am seeing new stuff too," he smiled at her.</p><p>"Emily is that you!" an excited female voice said over the radio.</p><p>"Yeah who is this?!" Emily answered wondering who recognized her.</p><p>"Look up over here," the woman said again, this time not over the radio. There was Courtney in a tree on the other side of the clearing above the flowers waving at them!</p><p>"Hey, Courtney!" Emily said as she turned her comms off. No need for a radio now that they were in talking distance. Emily had a rush of emotions. Instantly she remembered that the scouts like Andre all preferred the P models. And here her friend was alive. One of the only people she knew in this world. Showing up to ruin any chance she had with Andre, and end her alone time with him.</p><p>"How many are with you?" Andre asked. "Weren't you in a fighter?"</p><p>"Yeah, shooting the Cyrealian shuttle caused a piece of their ship to hit mine when it exploded. I was able to safely land in a swampy area full of quicksand. I was able to climb a vine hanging over my fighter so I didn't even get wet." Courtney told them.</p><p>"Where is your flight suit?" Emily asked her.</p><p>Courtney answered her while starting to climb down a vine, "I changed before getting out of my cockpit. It didn't provide any privacy though being completely clear. Hehe"</p><p>"Do you have any weapons or a pack with you," asked Andre thinking about supplies.</p><p>"No, just had a set of khaki shorts and this tank top with me in the fighter. I let the others take all my stuff on the shuttle. To be honest I didn't expect to survive the action while in orbit. But it is good to see you two."</p><p>"Good to see you as well!" Andre said.</p><p>Emily still felt mixed emotions. She was so glad that Courtney had made it! Why couldn't she have just made it to the landing pad at Station 2! Emily thought.</p><p>Courtney gracefully finished her climb down the vine making it look so easy with her enhanced strength and longer limbs. Landing at the edge of the soupy mud that was most of the jungle floor and the dry ground she turned to face them. "This place is kinda crazy! Mud is everywhere here. Is the whole planet like this? Also, did you see that giant flying dinosaur octopus thing?"</p><p>"Yeah, I saw it! Thought it might head your way after the flare. As for the mud, there are some large plains to the north and mountains far to the east." Andre said. "But much of the landmass on this planet is covered with jungle."</p><p>"At least the flowers are pretty!" She said walking through the tall pink and blue ones that Emily had been admiring. "I do remember getting a glimpse of some mountains on the way in." While walking through the flower patch one of the tall flowers she brushed against as she passed turned to follow her like it was looking at her.</p><p>Emily turned to Andre and whispered, "Did that flower just turn to look at her?"</p><p>Before either of them could respond, the three yellow shoots in the center of the flower shot out. They hit Courtney from behind just below belt level and knocked her forward as she let out a surprised yelp. Then just as quickly, they pulled her off her hands and knees back to the flower landing her in the center of its petals. "What the hell!?" is all Courtney said at first, still trying to figure out what happened as she looked at Emily and Andre who both looked stunned. It looked like she was sitting in a big blue and pink Papasan chair. "What is this thing? Put me down-" She was cut off by the flower opening a little and tugging on her backside down into the new opening. "Oh...OH wow! I think this pretty flower is trying to eat me."</p><p>The flower opened up just a little more and pulled her in butt first as she was bent forward in half at her hips. With her head now between her knees, just her shoulders, arms, legs from the knees down, remained outside the plant. She spread her arms wide on either side of the hungry flowers maw. Gripping the petals she held herself outside the plant by bracing against it with her toned arms flexing under strain. With each time the plant tried to swallow she lost a little strength in this one-sided battle. Each time the plant tried to swallow her, she lost a little ground and grinned a little bigger.</p><p>Courtney looked absolutely excited and almost cheerful in a surprised way as she made eye contact with Emily. Clearly no longer able, or willing, to stay outside the flower she winked at Emily. The last thing she said was "Tell everyone at Station 2 I said hi!" as she waved with both hands in the air. She giggled and kept waving as the flower sucked her down. The next second she was pulled in leaving only her waving hands and her feet sticking out of the center of the flower. Then with another gulp, she was gone.</p><p>Emily turned to Andre, "We need to do something!" she shouted. Then seeing that he had his rifle up and was aiming at the flower she prepared for him to shoot and turned to watch wondering what part of the flower he was going to hit.</p><p>As Emily watched the flower that had Courtney inside of it she saw movement. The stem had a bulge in it as it expanded many times its normal size to accommodate its meal. Emily could make out the shape of Courtney folded in half clearly as she traveled down the stem to the ground. Still waiting for Andre to shoot she turned back to him. "Are you going to take the shot?"</p><p>"What? It is a flower. If I shoot it the round would hit her too!" he answered never taking his eye away from the scope.</p><p>"Then what are you doing with the rifle?" she exclaimed.</p><p>"The scope has a record feature. We need to get this footage back to the science and survey teams. Luckily I got the whole thing on video." Andre said.</p><p>"Luckily!? You mean you are not going to try and get her out?" Emily asked realizing that Courtney was gone.</p><p>"How would you propose we do that? There is a whole patch of those flowers we would have to walk through. If you feel like trying I will keep recording." Andre told her.</p><p>Emily took a moment to look back at the flower patch and noted that he was right. There was no way to safely navigate to the one that had their friend. Looking back at the flower she saw Courtney wiggle a little trapped in her tight new home. "It just seems like we should do something," Emily said resigned to the fact that Courtney was not going to get away from the flower.</p><p>"Don't worry Emily," Andre said still recording. "I don't think she minds. She is a P model after all. I don't think she wants out." Andre lowered his rifle clearly done recording. He smiled at Emily then said, "Listen to her comms channel if you want." Then he turned to walk away towards a different tree than the one they had come from.</p><p>Emily watched him go for a moment then turned her comms piece to Courtney's channel again and listened. She could hear Courtney from inside the stem of the flower all right. But she was not talking. Courtney was making noises. Emily concentrated to ascertain what those shallow gasps and groans were. Then she blushed. Emily realized Andre was right. After listening for a few more moments to make sure, 'she knew' that Courtney in fact did not want to get out of that plant. Emily looked up again to see her friend wiggling inside the plant before blushing a little more and turning off her comms piece to give her some privacy. Turning around to leave she saw Andre standing next to a low hanging branch on the other side of the clearing.</p><p>"Satisfied?" Andre asked as Emily caught up with him standing next to a vine leading up to the tree they would climb.</p><p>"Uh...yeah...but not as satisfied as her," Emily said.</p><p>Andre chuckled a bit and said, "Remember they made her model on the cheap so they could mass produce them quickly if needed." As he climbed up just a few meters to the branch. Standing on the branch he waited for Emily to climb up to him and continued. "It is easier to make all sensations feel good than to differentiate between sensations and make your body numb to pain that gets too intense. You and I don't feel extreme pain. That is a very complex process to code into DNA, and it is not always successful. Sometimes our models are defective with that process making everything hurt. It was decided to play it safe with the P models and keep it simple. P models feel everything as pleasure. The stronger the stimuli the stronger the pleasure response."</p><p>Joining Andre in the tree again and glad to be off the ground she looked up at him and said, "So it was no accident that they are made this way."</p><p>"It was a decision based on cost savings and making politicians happy while shortening their DNA so the Federation can clone them quicker and have less chance of them being defective with complex engineering." Andre led them along, heading north to Station 2.</p><p>After a few moments of walking, Andre added, "I bet Stacy wished that she had the same response as a P model. Especially when that Cyrealian stabbed her in the airlock. I know if given the choice I would want to have the same reaction as a P model in that scenario. Really they are the lucky ones."</p><p>Emily continued to walk in silence for quite a while behind Andre. She always kept an eye out for where he walked, what he touched, and what he avoided; learning by example. This jungle was unforgiving to slow learners. The whole time her mind was on Courtney. She had seen other P models die. She had even seen a few T models like herself killed as well. However, in her wildest dreams, Emily never thought death would look or sound like that. Why was it on her mind so much? She wondered. Andre was right; the P models were the lucky ones. In a war like this, or on a planet like this, it is better to be engineered to be always cheerful, carefree, and pain-free. Maybe going out with the sensations Courtney displayed with gentle moans and slight gyrations, was the kindest send off the Federation could afford to give a fallen combatant. Another thing in her growing list of reasons to be jealous of the P models. She hated herself for thinking it, but she was kind of happy to be alone with Andre again. Emily tried to reassure herself by saying in her mind Courtney didn't mind and was even excited with her exit from their party. The fact remained that Emily was here and Courtney was not. Maybe both of them could be happy in their own way now. "Hey if Courtney was so 'lucky,' why shouldn't I be able to get lucky too?" Emily thought to herself. With that, she looked up at Andre and picked up her pace following him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Emily and Andre take a refreshing break.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: Sex! <br/>If you don't like sex don't read this chapter. <br/>(I know you are reading this chapter for the sex!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had been walking for quite some time now when Andre stopped and turned to look at Emily. They stared at one another for a spell before Emily broke the silence.</p><p>"Is everything alright?" she asked him.</p><p>"I am fine. Just stopping to make sure you are ok. You look tired," Andre said.</p><p>"Yeah, I am ok. Just been thinking," Emily told him. She had been thinking about Courtney. Seeing her getting sucked into a pretty flower and how excited she was by it. Remembering the moans that her friend made as she gently rubbed her thighs together in the plant.</p><p>"Ah, about the mission. Yes, you are probably going over what you will need to do to help Kaylee and any other survivors get the comms array working again," Andre said.</p><p>"What? No." Emily responded. Is he really that dense that he cannot tell what I am thinking! She thought.</p><p>"About taking a hot shower when we get to the station?"</p><p>"No." Well taking one with Andre doesn't sound bad, Emily thought, now a little frustrated Andre couldn't tell why she was flustered, frustrated, and confused.</p><p>"What high command has planned for fighting the Cyrealians?"</p><p>"NO!"</p><p>"Ok, I give up then. What are you thinking about?"</p><p>"Nothing!"</p><p>Andre just stood there and looked at her. After quite a long time of just staring at Emily, he asked, "Have you eaten since you hatched?"</p><p>"Umm...No I haven't," Emily said.</p><p>"Ok, then we are going to take a break and eat." Andre turned to survey their surroundings. Seeing a tree with another pool on top of its trunk he pointed to it, "That is where we will take our break. Breaks are better if you stop to rest when you are a little winded. Let's hurry!" And with that he took off in a jog down the large branch they were walking on.</p><p>Emily had little choice but to follow, as much as she didn't like the idea of running on a branch 40 meters in the air.</p><p>After swinging on vines twice to cross between trees and a little more jogging they were at the pool. Just like last time, Andre peeked over the edge to make sure it was clear. Slowly Andre then Emily stood up and climbed to the pool's edge. This pool was full of life just like the last one had been. Except there were no greenotangs at this one.</p><p>"Give me your rifle," Andre said and extended his hand.</p><p>Emily unslung her rifle and handed it to him quickly, thinking he may have seen a predator or something. Although she felt a little vulnerable now being disarmed.</p><p>"There are no greenotangs here so I am going to make sure this pool is safe." After stating that Andre opened fire and shot a long burst of rapid full auto fire into the pool. "That should do!" he handed Emily's rifle back to her.</p><p>"What was that all about!?" Emily asked.</p><p>"Three things. First, this was the easiest way to make sure there was no human eating thing in the water. Second, this scared all the insects away so we will not get stung. Third, it chased the birds away so they will not bother us while we are eating. Birds usually want us to share food with them." Andre looked at her and grinned, "Basically, when in doubt, shoot!"</p><p>"Plasma will not penetrate water though. So how does… Wait a minute! I think I figured it out! The electric discharge of the rounds hitting the water repeatedly in volume will electrocute anything in the water nearby."</p><p>"Good job! I knew you would get the technical side of things!"</p><p>"That's what I am here for after all!" Emily giggled, pleased with herself. "So when did you come up with that?"</p><p>"I didn't actually. We were losing several C.S. models like myself to various water predators in the swamp below and sometimes in pools like this. Even C.A. and some large C.H. clones were taken out by bigger predators and plants. Then a T model, named Helen, who was assigned to Station 4, helping the science team came up with this trick. Since the science officer was also named Helen we called the T model Helen T," Andre said. Continuing his story about Helen T, "She taught us all how to do this. She also organized several of our teams for gathering data on this jungle, and set up briefings to keep us all updated on how to use new techniques." Turning to Emily he said. "So thank you! Your model has saved my life many times over now."</p><p>Emily blushed at the high praise she was receiving. Although it was vicariously earned from Helen T, she was happy to hear it. It boosted her confidence to know how useful and admired her model was to everyone. After all, the T models all had the same brain and the same memories. So it was their personal experience that set them apart after hatching she decided.</p><p>Her self congratulatory thoughts were cut short as Andre tossed her a food pouch and said, "Eat this." It tasted alright but he then held up a blue apple-shaped piece of fruit with a bright yellow flower growing out of it. "Eat this at the same time now." She took the fruit and had a bite mixing the two flavors together.</p><p>"Wow! That's good!" Emily exclaimed excitedly with her mouth full.</p><p>"This is why we try to eat at these pools! The fruit growing here is amazing and does lots to help our rations be more palatable."</p><p>"Did a T model teach you this too?" Emily teased.</p><p>"Haha no actually. We learned it from the natives." Andre said.</p><p>"Natives, you mean the greenotangs?"</p><p>"Well them too, but the humans who were left here after the colony was abandoned," Andre said. "Best we can tell some colonists came here and set up two towns. Maybe 200 or 250 years ago now. Not sure about the details since a rival kingdom took out the world supporting the colony before the wars of unification."</p><p>"Wow, I didn't know there were humans living here."</p><p>"No one did! Anyway, let's swim and cool off a bit." Andre set his rifle down and then removed his shirt.</p><p>Emily ogled his toned bod as he bent down to take off his shoes wondering if she would remove her top too. After he had his shirt off he stood up and winked at Emily and then undid his belt. Oh wow! Emily thought, He is getting down to his boxers in front of me, as she turned red in the face as she enjoyed the show. Then he dropped his cut-off shorts to reveal that no he had no boxers on. Oh wow! That's a Dick! Yep, he is naked! Nothing hidden at all. Emily's head swirling with everything happening.</p><p>Andre let his large member swing free as he stood naked in front of her. He turned and dove headfirst into the water leaving Emily to her thoughts standing there on the side of the natural pool trying not to choke on the fruit he had just given her. Andre came up for air halfway across the pool. He rolled onto his back and gracefully did a few backstrokes to carry him to the other side. Resting his arms on the edge of the pool covered in moss, he looked up at her and asked, "Are you getting in? The water is great."</p><p>"Of course I am getting in!" Emily called back. Well, I do want to get laid by him! But this is definitely putting me on the spot! She thought. Her mind was racing with how much clothing she planned on taking off. She set her backpack down and bent to untie her shoes. OK, I am wearing underwear, and my belt has my equipment attached to it so my shorts can come off no problem, she reasoned as she fumbled with her shoelaces.</p><p>Andre resting up against the far side of the small pool casually reached out and pick a piece of fruit growing at the water's edge. He was clearly enjoying the show as he saw Emily try and decide how much clothing she was going to take off. He ate the delicious morsel that had a red flower growing out of one end. Andre smiled when Emily stood up finally barefoot and dropped her shorts. Still casually eating his meal he looked at her expectantly, waiting to see if she would shed more clothing.</p><p>Ok, I want to fuck him anyway! He is completely naked and if I keep wearing my shirt with only panties I will look like a prude, Emily thought. Besides no one is around might as well have some fun with him. "Ok, Andre! Enjoy the view!" Emily blurted out, before grabbing the bottom of her sports bra tank top, and pulling it up over her head, and discarding it on top of her shorts.</p><p>Andre smiled broadly at the sight of Emily's bare chest, as her breasts sprang free of their sports bra confinement. As calm as he was, blood had already started to flow south as he swelled while watching the show. Andre had been delighted to watch Emily take her time in getting close to naked. Delighted with her near-complete nudity, he knew those panties of hers would not stay on too long.</p><p>Emily dove into the refreshing pool. The cool water felt good in all this heat. Coming up for air, she saw Andre still relaxing at the edge of the pool. As soon as she swam up next to him, he gave her another piece of fruit. However, he had taken a bite of this one before offering it to her. "Hey you already ate off this one!" she teased him.</p><p>Andre turned to face her with one arm holding on to the mossy edge of the pool. Smiling he asked, "Are you afraid that I have cuties are something?"</p><p>"No silly-"</p><p>With his free hand, he reached around her back and pulled her close, and kissed her while she was still speaking. "Good. Because we couldn't do this if you thought I had cuties." After holding her close to him for a few moments to feel her body pressed against his, he relaxed his grip. Andre enjoyed watching the buoyancy of her breasts in the water as she slowly pulled back.</p><p>"Um wow," was all a surprised Emily could respond with at first.</p><p>"So how is your fruit?"</p><p>"I think I like you better than this," Emily held up her yellow fruit with the red flower growing out of it.</p><p>Andre smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her again, this time deeply and with more passion. He could feel Emily kissing him back more and more vigorously, letting her emotions take over. Andre pulled away slightly and said, "We should stay near our weapons just in case. Stay here and finish eating your treat. I am going back over to our stuff." He turned to leave then stopped and faced Emily again. "No dessert until you finish your food," and kissed her on the forehead before swimming away leaving Emily wanting more.</p><p>Andre reached the side of the pool with their guns, backpacks, and discarded clothing. He got out and retrieved a food pouch from his pack and set it next to the water's edge. He then picked up a large blue fruit the size of a grapefruit with a pink flower growing out of it.</p><p>"Hey, handsome!" Emily said as she swam up to where Andre was standing next to the pool.</p><p>"Is that another weapon, or are you just happy to see me?" commenting on his obvious erection.</p><p>"I was just getting lunch ready for us." Andre said, "In case you are into the whole sexual tension building thing and want to eat naked."</p><p>Emily giggled, "Well, aren't you lots of fun?"</p><p>"Give me a hand with this then," Andre set the fruit down next to the rations and reached for Emily's hand. Taking her hand and helping her out of the water he copped a feel of her perky tits. "Sex in the water is never a good idea anyway."</p><p>"Oh my. Do you plan to have sex with me?" she teased.</p><p>"Crossed my mind, but you need to help me first."</p><p>"Oh, how is that?" she asked, reaching for his manhood as she stepped closer for a kiss. Kissing him she began to stroke his rock hard member.</p><p>Kissing her, he felt her up. Slowly he traced his hands down her body. Taking her hands in his he lifted them over her head as they continued to kiss. With one hand he turned her around and faced her toward the pool again while holding her arms above her head still. "See that green vine hanging over the water? I need you to grab the very end of it with both hands."</p><p>"Oh is that a flypaper vine?"</p><p>"Yes, but you will be holding the very end of it. Don't worry."</p><p>With his guiding Emily reach out and grabbed the end of the vine. Once she had a firm grip on it Andre nudged her forward causing her to swing out over the water.</p><p>"Oh haha. That was fun and unexpected! Hey, I cannot let go of this thing!" Emily said dangling with her legs swishing in the water at mid-thigh.</p><p>"I know! Let's have a little fun," said Andre holding up his knife to the vine. "I can just cut the vine and let you down anytime, love, so don't worry." He poked the vine with the tip of his blade and caused a more liquidy sap to ooze out.</p><p>Emily looking up at where her hands were trapped and watched with curiosity wondering what Andre had in store for her next. This was not at all what she was expecting.</p><p>"Here try some of this sap," Andre extended his finger out for Emily to taste some of the sap he had collected.</p><p>Emily opened her mouth and tasted the gooey sap. It had a very sweet yet spicy flavor to it with definite notes of citrus. "Mmm, that's good!"</p><p>"Oh yeah? Just wait," Andre sat down on the edge of the pool facing Emily at about eye level. He started to rub the sap on Emily's exposed nipples. Being sure to coat each one thoroughly as he rolled her now erect nubs between his fingers, drawing moans of enjoyment from her.</p><p>Drawing his skilled hands away from her perky breasts, he rested them on her ribs and pulled her close for a kiss. "Do you feel the tingle yet?"</p><p>"Oh yes! My nipples feel like...they just feel...so…" at a loss for words at the pleasure she was experiencing from the sap that was now stimulating her she began to kiss Andre again. The sap Andre had given her had strong aphrodisiac properties as well, causing her to lose herself in lust and heightened pleasure.</p><p>As she hung from the vine with her womanhood just above the water Andre turned his attention southward. Slowly pulling her panties off with his toes as he sat on the pool's edge, Andre caressed and kissed Emily's bare chest. Eagerly lapping up the sap he had placed on her nipples with his tongue. Stopping only to say "You don't need these anymore," he fully removed her wet panties, letting them drift away in the pool.</p><p>The vine began to steadily ooze more liquidy sap where Andre had wounded it with his knife. It was slowly running down Emily's forearms now. Reaching up Andre rubbed his hands in the sticky sap running down her arms and started to spread it all over Emily's sides and chest while kissing her vigorously. Taking extra care to knead the sap into her perky tits aching for attention, tweaking her nipples alternately.</p><p>The sap covering Emily started to drive her wild as the faint citrus digestive juices caused her skin to tingle. Andre got another handful of sap then leaned back letting Emily hang from the vine in front of him as he reclined on the edge of the pool. Emily bit her lip as she watched Andre slowly stroke his large member using the sap as lube. He locked eyes with her as he rubbed his glistening erection. Each of them could see the desire in each other's eyes.</p><p>"Want to feel what this is like inside you?"</p><p>Emily just nodded and gave a faint moan in response.</p><p>Leaning forward again, Andre took Emily's legs in his hands. As she bent her knees over his forearms, he pulled her hips to him. Positioning her sex over his engorged rod he began to lower Emily onto himself. Slowly the glistening and slick-with-sap head of his cock pressed against her. His rock hard manhood slowly parted her as he let gravity do the work.</p><p>Emily's eyes went wide with the sensation of being penetrated. He was large but this felt like more of an intrusion than she expected. She gasped and her eyes rolled back as he let her sink onto him all the way to the hilt. She had him completely inside her. Emily realized that although she had not been a virgin when cloned, this was a new body. She realized that her new body and new pussy were getting stretched out for the first time. Opening her eyes, she began to ride him rhythmically. Leaning back she placed some of her weight on the vine holding her as she began to buck her hips.</p><p>Andre held onto her hips as she rode him. Watching her abs flex and ripple as she rocked her hips back and forth on his erection. He especially liked the motion of her tits as they bounced and swayed in time with her efforts. Andre leaned back also while holding on to Emily. Rocking his pelvis forward to get as much penetration as he could.</p><p>The friction of their sex warmed up the sap they were using as lube. Emily could feel the heat and the tingling sensation growing inside her. She was going to climax soon. Emily redoubled her efforts riding him desperately as an orgasm was closing in on her. She felt a white-hot orgasm building as she lost her rhythm and just started frantically fucking him. Her legs shuddered and her body tensed up as she climaxed with his cock buried inside her.</p><p>Andre could feel her spasm around him as he enjoyed the show of this cute girl's body shaking in orgasm. Sensing that she was spent for the moment he took a more firm grip of her. Holding her with his arms under her legs he rocked her body back and forth. Continuing to fuck her as she came, he was determined to make her cum again before he finished.</p><p>Emily's body could hardly take the sensation of being deeply fucked through her orgasm with her whole body feeling the ecstasy of the sap covering her inside and out. She gasped for air and was only able to gasp out delighted squeaking sounds as Andre continued to impale her. Quickly she could sense another wave of pleasure building. Needing release, she squeezed her pussy around his cock nearing her second climax. She tried to hold back at first then gave in to the wave of pleasure taking her. Racked by another full body orgasm her tight pussy milked Andre's cock.</p><p>Andre could feel Emily cum again. He saw her eyes cross with her tongue out as she painted for air in between moans and shrieks of joy. He was rewarded with the feeling of her pussy juice running down his shaft and dripping off his ball sack. His sack tightened as he could feel the pressure of an impending orgasm build in his loins. He tried to keep his rhythm going but his lust took over and he sped up his pace. Desperately reaching for and then fighting off an orgasm for a few more seconds of bliss. He could feel his balls clench and his cock start to involuntarily spasm. Thrusting up, he pulled her all the way onto his stiff rod. Penetrating her as deep as he could, he released inside her. His hot seed filling her more with each powerful spurt. He held her still as he finished cumming deep in her womb.</p><p>Both of them exhausted and satisfied now, Andre slowly released his grip on Emily. As he leaned back exhausted he could feel her slide off of him. With his manhood exposed to the air again, he could feel what remained of the sap working on him. His cock and balls felt like they had just smoked a menthol cigarette as they tingled delightfully in his afterglow.</p><p>Emily helpless with her hands still stuck to the vine above her, had little recourse to gravity pulling her back into the pool. She made a weak attempt to hold onto the edge of the pool with her feet. However, her legs were no help as they still were quivering from her thorough fucking. She just smiled as she slid backwards into the water, satisfied and tired. Her legs got a small jolt of life from the refreshing water. She admired Andre's erection as it still pointed skyward with some cum still dribbling out of it. His member was wet with her juices mixed with sap. Andre lay on his back also trying to catch his breath as his chest continued to rise and fall.</p><p>Emily could feel his cum slowly running down her legs the short distance to the water. She looked down to see the white fluid quickly dissipate in the crystal clear water. Her pussy was only about two hand widths above the water. Then she noticed another feeling. Something was around her arms. Looking up she could see the flypaper vine had been just as busy as her and Andre. While they had been working towards orgasms, this thing had been working toward its meal. And unless she did something soon that meal would be her.</p><p>"Hey!" Emily called to Andre, "I need a little help here!"</p><p>Sitting up Andre saw the flypaper vine had been working. Its digestive sack started from a meter above Emily's hands. Now it extended all the way down past the end of the vine and was swallowing Emily's arms down to her elbows. "OK. Don't worry," he responded as he got to his feet.</p><p>"Easy for you to say. You aren't being swallowed!"</p><p>Andre calmly retrieved his knife. Taking hold of the vine to feel where her hands were he carefully cut the thin membrane, taking care not to harm Emily as he cut. Once he had cut the digestive sack, he set his knife down. Gripping the thin membrane that had been making a meal of his comrade, he pulled it down. Slowly covering Emily as she squirmed. Emily, in confusion at having her face covered with the sticky sap and a thin membrane pulled over her, "MMmmmpphhh Mmfff Mmurrrr!"</p><p>Soon the green transparent vine was past her face and she could talk again.</p><p>"What the hell do you think you are doing!"</p><p>Andre stopped pulling once he had just barely passed Emily's womanhood that still dripped from their sex. "There! Now you have a new dress!" Andre laughed.</p><p>Emily took a moment to assess her situation. She had a nearly transparent green skin-tight organic fabric stretching from her thighs to just above her boobs. It actually did make a cute little tube top dress she thought. And wow how the sap on the inside of it felt good coating her skin!</p><p>"Well, this is...neat."</p><p>"Glad you like it! I think it looks great on you."</p><p>"It would look better if you cut me down!"</p><p>"Right. Hold on." With a quick swing of his large knife, Andre severed the vine that Emily was dangling from.</p><p>With a surprised yelp, Emily splashed into the water. Quickly kicking her legs to bring herself to the surface for air, "My hands are still stuck together!"</p><p>"The sap is water-soluble. Just move them like you are washing your hands and the sap will dissolve and let you go."</p><p>Emily started to do what Andre said and quickly the sticky goo holding her to the end of the vine let go. Just like that, she was free. The tingling sensations vanished from her arms and everywhere the water touched. The new dress, however, kept some of the sap on her body and she could feel it still tingling.</p><p>"You might want to take the dress off, dear." Andre set his knife down next to his clothes.</p><p>"You just want me naked again!" Emily held onto the side of the natural pool with her newly freed hands. She started to shake the feeling back into each hand alternately.</p><p>"I am still naked," Andre said as he stepped off the edge into the pool. Coming up for air. "And I do always want to see you naked."</p><p>Slowly Emily began to shimmy out of her new tube dress. "How did you know about using the vine membrane to make a dress?"</p><p>"It is common practice for anyone stationed here. In this heat, it is comfortable, light, and breathable attire. And it darkens in about a day so you cannot see through it." Andre said as he washed the sap and Emily's juices off.</p><p>"T clone come up with it?"</p><p>"Natives again!" Andre laughed. "They really have become one with this place. Most of their clothing is from flypaper vines. The membrane only lasts about a week and a half as clothing so you are constantly getting a new wardrobe. They use feathers, flowers, and other things to spice up their outfits."</p><p>"Sounds pretty!" Emily set her dress on the side of the pool. "So you think I should keep this?"</p><p>"Absolutely. If for nothing else you need a bra and a skirt for laundry day. Cut it into smaller pieces for a few skimpy tops for off duty if you like." Andre picked some more fruit.</p><p>Emily smiled, happy that she had a new dress and that she knew how to get more new clothes for free whenever. She rubbed her hands all over her body to wash off what was left of the sap that clung to her. "This stuff is as good as shower gel to get you clean!"</p><p>"Missed a spot," Andre reached over to cup her freshly cleaned tits. Slowly moving in, Emily reciprocated and they started to kiss and fondle each other.</p><p>After a brief impromptu make-out session, in which they rubbed the sap off of each other until they were squeaky clean; Emily and Andre climbed out of the clear refreshing water. "We still need to finish eating before we head to the station," Andre said digging into some rations. "We are about a klick out I'd say."</p><p>"Good! I am starving!" Emily said, joining Andre sitting on the soft moss growing around the tree pool. "Glad we are not that far away now."</p><p>"Yeah, let's take a few minutes to enjoy a meal. I don't know what they will have us do when we check in at Station 2." Andre handed Emily some fruit and a rations pack.</p><p>They sat there together naked and enjoyed the rest of their meal by the beautiful pool high above the ground.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the final chapter in Emily's Story! <br/>Don't worry she is a clone and there are literally millions of copies of her out there to write about still.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After quite a refreshing break, Emily felt glad to be back on the path to Station 2. Thinking about her first meal and first swim in her new life as a clone. She had several firsts in the last hour. Emily smiled as she looked ahead at Andre as he led the two of them through the twists and tangle of this strange jungle. She was getting more comfortable using large tree limbs as paths in the canopy's maze.</p><p>"About half a klick out now," Andre said, turning to check on Emily. "We should be able to pick up the station on comms soon." Andre paused and tilted his head, "Hey...do you hear that?"</p><p>Emily concentrated and tried to make out a sound over the noise of the jungle. There it was! Engines spinning up and lifting off. At first, the sound was faint but grew louder as it was heading toward them and gaining speed.</p><p>Looking up, they both saw two Kestrels flying low over the tops of the trees. As the fighters accelerated they broke the sound barrier. The noise rippled through the air, frightened parrots took flight from their perches. There were more sounds of ships taking off from the station.</p><p>"Something is happening at the station! Let's get there! Double time!" Andre shouted and turned to run.</p><p>Emily followed as best she could. They ran from tree to tree and swung on vines when required until they could see their destination. Station 2 lay on a plot of dry ground raised above the swampy floor of the jungle. They had cut the trees back to make room for the human structure. The perimeter had a tall security fence around the compound. Inside the fence, and taking up half the space inside the station, Emily could see a large grey concrete structure with a large landing pad next to it.</p><p>Emily's comms unit in her ear came alive as she and Andre finished climbing down a vine. They landed on dry, solid ground about a soccer field distance from the security fence.</p><p>"You two look human on our scanners, state your names and tell us what you are doing here," a voice spoke in Emily's ear.</p><p>Responding "I am Emily T-302. I am a survivor of the F.S.S. Budapest. I understand this is our rendezvous point."</p><p>"This is Andre CS-3975. We came down in the same escape pod."</p><p>"This is Charlie. Welcome to Station 2. We have been having survivors trickle in all afternoon. By our calculation, we have about half of you here now. The guard will let you in at the South entrance. Head straight to the briefing room below the main hanger. Hrothgar will want to speak to you. Over and out."</p><p>Andre slapped Emily on the shoulder and grinned. "Made it girl! Let's get inside."</p><p>After passing it through the gate and receiving directions to the briefing room, Emily and Andre entered the hanger. They strolled across the large cavernous expanse that was empty, save one shuttle. There was a P model walking around the shuttle doing final preflight checks, and two troops carrying some equipment to the shuttle. Reaching the other side of the hanger they made their way down a set of metal stairs. Emily's head began to spin seeing how far the stairway reached down into the earth. She couldn't see the bottom floor. Lucky for them they only had to go down one floor. Leaving the stairwell, they crossed the hallway and walked into the Briefing Room.</p><p>The room was dark and had display screens at stations around most of it. In the middle of the room was a large holograph table for mission planning. Standing on the other side of the table with his hands folded across the small of his back was Commander Hrothgar. He was intently watching a large screen. It was showing three sets of aircraft heading away from the station toward red symbols on the screen.</p><p>A T-clone sitting at consol to his right said, "Red team will make contact in 5 seconds Sir."</p><p>"And Blue team?" the large commander inquired in a calm deep voice that sounded hopeful and tired.</p><p>"30 seconds till they make contact," another T clone to his left answered.</p><p>"Good. Put their radio feed over the speaker. I want to hear from them as it happens." Hrothgar stated as he stepped back to lean on the holo table. "I assume that is the Technician and the Scout that just came in," he said, not turning to look at them.</p><p>Emily started to speak but with him still facing away from them she hesitated.</p><p>The speaker came on, cutting off any attempt Emily might have made to confirm Hrothgar's statement. As the battle net came to life with chatter from the excited P clones, the T-clone sitting at a console on Hrothgar's left turned to look at Emily and Andre.</p><p>'Definitely a Cyrealian pod. We are weapons hot now with confirmation,' crackled a tense P model's voice over the radio. 'I have a lock. Firing two missiles!'</p><p>'Right behind you with two more!' said her wing woman, labeled Red 2, on the screen.</p><p>Two dull thuds sounded over the speaker followed closely by another pair of thuds from the 4 missiles impacting the Cyrealian drop pod.</p><p>'Station 2 this is Red Leader. We have fired 50% of our missiles. Preparing to saturate the area around the destroyed pod with plasma from strafing runs.'</p><p>"Turn on your gun cameras for strafing runs. I want to see what you see. If anything looks like it may have escaped, shoot the rest of your missiles at it. We cannot risk Cyrealians getting loose in this jungle."</p><p>'Roger solid copy.' Red Leader's indicator lit up as she spoke.</p><p>The display screen blinked then came back with two live feeds from the two fighters of the Red team. There was only a smoldering black hole in the ground where the Cyrelain drop pod must have been. The fighters came around for a strafing run firing plasma auto-cannons into the jungle around the wreckage.</p><p>"Andre, Thompson!" Hrothgar said as he turned to look at them.</p><p>Andre snapped to attention and said "Yes Sir!" so did someone else who had been sitting in a chair against the wall that Emily had failed to notice. Now that Emily's eyes had adjusted, she could see that there were about 10 or 12 others sitting near the far wall. The man standing to attention had to be Thompson. Obviously, he wasn't a clone. He looked to be in his early 20s and had a rust-colored flat-top with a tired face sporting 5 O'clock shadow. On his back was a radio with its antenna sticking up.</p><p>As the commander turned to face them the holo table came alive. A 3D map appeared. The glow of the table gave Emily the first glimpse of his features. He was in his mid-30s and had a blond crew cut. Hrothgar had a very strong jawline that sported a scar on his right cheek. His face was weathered and judging by the lines on his face he wore a stern expression most of the time.</p><p>"Let's keep this short. I need intel on the site the fighters just hit and the site that Blue team is about to hit." He pointed to the two places on the map designated by the red symbols. "Andre, you and Private Thompson are a team now. Thompson will be your radio relay so you can give live updates to us back here at Station 2. You are to spend two hours looking for any signs of life that suggest a Cyrelian surviving. We only have one shuttle left here at the moment. The other three shuttles are conducting an assault on a pod that landed in the northern plains. You will be going to the southwest target that Red team hit." Hrothgar pointed at the site on the holo table display. "I believe you know CS-2244 Rick. He and Corporal Ivanov will take the site that Blue team is about to strike." He pointed to the other crash site on the holo table. "They are already in the shuttle on the landing pad waiting for you. Get going and good luck." He motioned for them to leave.</p><p>"Aye Sir!" Thompson and Andre shouted in unison before turning to leave the room and run to the shuttle.</p><p>"Sir, Blue team is approaching the target weapons hot. Switching to their camera feed on screen now," the T-clone on the left stated.</p><p>Commander Hrothgar turned his impressive frame to look back at the screen just as the lead fighter fired two missiles at the Cyrealain drop pod. Then a second later four white streaks made their way to the target, as both fighters fired a salvo of 2 missiles. The first pair struck the pod and blew it apart sending bits flying in all directions. The second two missiles created a crater where the pod had been. The explosion set a massive tree nearby on fire.</p><p>"Have them strafe the area around the site to kill anything that might have crawled out," Hrothgar instructed as he shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest. He seemed to be trying to stare a hole into the display screen.</p><p>The T-clone on the left spoke into a mic at her consol, "Blue team you are ordered to strafe the area with plasma fire a few times to kill anything that may have crawled away. After that make a few slow passes to verify and return to base. Scouts are en route to track down anything that may have survived."</p><p>"Solid copy Station 2. Starting strafing run now" answered the familiar voice of a P model.</p><p>Emily could see the live feed from both fighters as they took turns firing into the jungle around the crash site. Light blue plasm streaks exploded into fire and electricity on impact with the massive trees. They flew slowly over the area surveying the damage and checking to see if any Cyrelians showed up on scanners.</p><p>"Station 2 this is Blue leader. We have done all we can do here. Negative on any signs of life at this point."</p><p>"Roger that. Return to base and rearm. We may need you back in the air in a hurry." Spoke the T-clone before flipping a switch and the display screen when back to the map showing 3 shuttles heading due north to the third crash site.</p><p>"I assume you are T302 Emily. Is that correct?" Hrothgar said as he turned to face her.</p><p>"Y..yes Sir." She stammered. Now that he was looking right at her she could feel how big and powerful of a man he was. Yet he exuded a stern fairness. Andre and Lucas had both respected him, she remembered.</p><p>"Sasha, here is your new partner," Hrothgar said without looking away from Emily. The T-clone at the right-hand console got up and walked over to stand next to Emily. "You two will help Kaylee. She has finished compressing the data drives from the F.F.S. Budapest. We are now ready to send that info to the fleet that is en route here as we speak. To send a data burst transmission that far, we need the comms array on the roof of this building repaired. A few minutes before you got here, I sent Kaylee to load the equipment needed for repairs into service Elevator C. It is the only one that goes all the way to the roof. You two go help her. The 3 of you should be able to have it up and working soon. Any questions?" After a moment of quiet, neither of them had asked anything. "Good, Sasha you know your way around. Lead Emily and Kaylee to the communications array. Get to it."</p><p>"Aye Sir!" They both said with a crisp salute before running off to help Kaylee.</p><p>Sasha and Emily caught up with Kaylee as she was loading the last of the equipment into the service elevator. "Hey girl!" Emily called to her friend.</p><p>"Heyy!" squealed Kaylee as she and Emily embraced. "Told you you would make it to Station 2!"</p><p>"Yeah, you did! How did your group fare getting off the ship?" Emily asked her friend.</p><p>"We made it obviously!" giggled Kaylee. "And I saw Andre and someone with a radio run to get on Jill's shuttle a moment ago! Where is the rest of the engine room team?"</p><p>"We are all that made it," Emily told her.</p><p>"What!? I swear I saw Brad make it back in time to join the attack on the pod that landed in the plains to the north!" Kaylee responded. "What all happened to the team?"</p><p>"Well… to make a long story short, Brad made it out in a different pod than us. Terrel and Stacy were not so lucky." Emily said sadly. "Tell me about your team."</p><p>"Ladies, please! Let's get in the elevator. We need to get to the roof. There we can talk as we work. The Cyreailans are at war with us and moments matter." Sasha said as she showed them into the cargo elevator.</p><p>"Ok, you're right!" Kaylee said as she reached for the button on the side of the elevator labeled roof. "As for how we did, well it was something to see the combat clones in action! We tore through the Cyrealians on the way to the mainframe."</p><p>"My goodness! I bet you were a little scared though!"</p><p>"Not really, once we had our first firefight or two," Kaylee shrugged. "I was surrounded by three P-clones who were eager to take a plasma round for me or even the Cyrealian's claws for that matter. They seemed kinda disappointed that all three of them made it to the mainframe."</p><p>"Yeah they don't really care do they," giggled Sasha, joining the conversation.</p><p>"That is an understatement!" Emily laughed remembering Courtney and the other P's she had seen.</p><p>"Yeah, so with them acting like eager meatshields I really had nothing to worry about until we got to the hanger." Ding. The elevator reached the rooftop cutting off Kaylee's story and startling her.</p><p>"So what happened in the hanger back on Pest?" Emily asked as she opened up the elevator service door.</p><p>Sasha picked up a crate and led the way to the comms array tower. Kaylee picked up a duffle bag and slung a backpack over her shoulder and followed while continuing her story. "After we pulled Pest we made it to the hanger easy enough. When the ship started to roll, we opened the hanger door and there were 5 Cyrealians waiting among the fighters and shuttles. Everyone started shooting at the same time. Hrothgar's people and us and the Cyrealians. It was crazy!" Kaylee paused to look over her shoulder at Emily. She followed close behind carrying a toolbox and cutting torch. "Paul got hit during the fighting and went down before we made it to the shuttle. Some of Hrothgar's group were killed as well loading this equipment into their shuttle. We saw him from a distance kill a Cyrealian with a plasma projector while carrying someone who was wounded on his back. He then went back and picked up the crate that Sasha is carrying now."</p><p>Sasha spoke up, "The wounded man was Station 2's commanding officer. Commander Cyrus. He is alive but in serious condition down in the bunker's med bay. That is why Hrothgar assumed command soon as he realized he was the only one of command rank left on the planet." She turned to look over her shoulder at her fellow T-models, "This is the crate he went back for. It has the replacement parts for our comms. Our damaged communication array was the reason that he came here to survey the station and took Commander Cyrus back to the Budapest to get these very replacement parts. That is when the attack started." Sasha explained as they walked up to the Comms tower. "Well, here we are!"</p><p>"Woah what happened to it?" asked Emily surveying the damage. There was black scoring along the tower and the control box at the base looked like it had been burned.</p><p>"Lightning strike," said Sasha. "From the tests, we have done, the coupling about halfway up is melted and needs to be replaced. But, that is an easy fix. The real damage is here in the control box. We don't need everything to work. Just the data burst transmission for deep-space communication." Sasha pried open the metal circuit box, showing a tangled mess of wires and circuits burned to a crisp. Some of the wires and circuit boards were clearly melted by the lightning strike.</p><p>"Yep. That there is your problem," Kaylee said with a fake accent.</p><p>"Yeah I'd say so," agreed Emily.</p><p>"Well, Kaylee if you could replace the data coupling that would help a lot. Climb about halfway up and replace the coupling burned out on the large black cable. Emily and I will start down here." Sasha said, looking at Kaylee.</p><p>"Sure no problem!" Kaylee said happy to not have to work with all the circuits in the burned box. She set her pack and duffle bag down and started to rummage through for a new coupling, and set of cable wrenches.</p><p>"Well, you seem to know about what is wrong here. Did you run the diagnostics yourself?" Emily asked Sasha while setting down her toolbox and cutting torch.</p><p>"Yeah, I was the one up here while Bethany was in the comms room below. We worked on this for a while to determine the extent of the damage before Hrothgar came down. We showed him what was wrong with this yesterday." Sasha recounted as she opened up the crate to show a new circuit board.</p><p>"There is quite a spectacular view from up here!" Said Emily as she straightened up and looked around at the jungle from her elevated position.</p><p>"Speaking of good view don't you two dare look up my skirt while I am up here!" Kaylee teased as she started her climb up the wireframe-looking tower.</p><p>"First you aren't even wearing a skirt! Second, you can't tell me what to do!" Shouted Sasha as she looked up. Kaylee looked back over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at them before continuing her climb. "Is she always a handful?"</p><p>"Yep!" chuckled Emily as she started to dig around in the duffle bag for the tools they would need.</p><p>"Well let's get to work. We need to send that data burst to the fleet that is on the way here. The sooner the better, in case the Cyrelains attack again before our back up gets here." Sasha said as she picked up the cutting torch out and put on a set of goggles. "So basically we don't have to fix everything now. Let's just get the main long-range array working so we can transmit to deep space. There is nothing in this system we need to talk to yet."</p><p>"Agreed!" replied Emily while pulling out some wire cutters. "So how do you want to do this?"</p><p>"Everything is fried in this box, so I am going to cut it all away. After that, since I have been up here several times and worked on the diagnostics, I will hook up all the input wiring coming up from below. All you have to do is worry about the output wiring and read the labels to feed them to the right place. How does that sound to you?"</p><p>"Sounds good. Start cutting!" Emily said turning to look away to protect her eyes. This is a very beautiful place, she thought as she took the time to look around at the jungle surrounding the installation. Off to the east, she could see a large flock of those four-winged parrot-like birds flying over the treetops. The breeze on her skin was a welcome relief from the heat. Then on the breeze, she could hear a sound growing to compete with the sound of Sasha's cutting torch. Turning to the southwest she could see two Kestrel class fighters approaching. About the time their engines were drowning out the sound of everything else, Sasha stood up and took off her goggles.</p><p>Both girls watched as the fighters made a full circle around the outpost. They could see the P models in the glass bubble cockpits that glinted in the sunlight. One of the P-models even looked over at the girls standing on the roof and waved at them. Her fighter slowed to a near hover and lowered her landing gear. Then both fighters descended to the landing pad, touching down in unison. Emily and Sasha had subconsciously walked to the building's edge to watch. Soon the fighters rolled into the hanger below and out of sight.</p><p>"Done cutting already?" Emily asked Sasha.</p><p>"No. I just fangirl with every fly by," Sasha answered. Then adding, "It never gets old."</p><p>"Yeah, they seem to have the best job in the Federation." Emily stopped talking as she heard the engines of two more fighters coming from another direction.</p><p>"That must be Blue team coming back. I think Red team just landed." Sasha yelled over the sound of the approaching Kestrels.</p><p>Emily nodded as she enjoyed the second airshow as these fighters also did a low slow fly by. Emily noticed the horseshoe-shaped shadows as they passed over the grass around the station. This time both P-models waved vigorously and laughed! Emily and Sasha at the same time realized that the pilots they were envying were not waving at them. They looked up to see Kaylee waving at them with both hands like a madwoman holding onto the tower with her legs.</p><p>Sasha and Emily looked up at her then at each other and started laughing, nearly falling over at their friend's antics. No words were spoken between them. The fighters so close would drown out any attempt at conversation.</p><p>Soon the fighters were on the ground and rolling into the hanger to rearm. As the noise subsided, Sasha called up to Kaylee who was at least 4 stories above them near the top of the tower. "If you love them that much just flash them next time!"</p><p>"What now you tell me when it is too late!" Kaylee called back. "Hey! Wait a minute. You can't trick me into showing you my boobies that easily. I know you are dying to see what they look like!" Kaylee jokingly yelled back.</p><p>"They look the exact same as mine!" Sasha yelled back to her.</p><p>"Yeah well then go look in a mirror instead of trying to trick me!" Kaylee yelled back with a smile.</p><p>"Wow, there is no winning with her is there?" Sasha said to Emily.</p><p>"Afraid not," Emily mused, still laughing in her head about the exchange. Emily walked back to the base of the radio tower to resume work. "She has seemed pretty giddy and excitable since we hatched."</p><p>"How long ago was that?" Sasha inquired walking back with Emily to resume their work.</p><p>"Uh, like just a few hours ago or something. Less than a day for sure." Emily said.</p><p>"Really! Woah! You are still brand new!" Sasha said wide-eyed.</p><p>"Yeah still have that new clone smell!" Emily teased. "In fact, I hatched at the same time as Kaylee. There were 5 of us T-models and 5 P-models as well. Pest woke us all up at the same time. "</p><p>"Really?!" Sasha said. They had made it back to the comms array junction box but Sasha was clearly not at all interested in work at the moment. "Just a few hours ago with 5 Ts and 5 Ps waking up at the same time. Pest? Was that an AI? Wait Pest...is that what you called the AI on the F.S.S. Budapest? I have so many questions."</p><p>"Yeah, I can tell," Emily smiled at her friend. "What would you like to know first and I also have some questions for you. But yes Pest was short for Budapest and we woke up after the Cyrealians had already boarded the ship. We were in cloning bay 3. 1 and 2 had already been attacked by the Cyrelains. The combat models were already fighting. They were woken up before us. We were the last ones hatched."</p><p>"Woah that is intense! I was hatched at a Federation installation planet side and completed my catch up and familiarization training with new systems for a few weeks before was assigned to a ship. I am 2 and a half by the way and was transferred here 6 months ago. Being here is by far better than being on a ship. But it is exciting to go to new places on a ship starting out, so I hear." Sasha said, hardly taking a breath. Stopping for a moment she asked, "What happened to the 4 other T-clones?"</p><p>"Oh let's see. One was shot in the back and then the back of the head within 5 minutes of hatching by some Cyrealains. I think her name was Debbie. Stacy had her arm blown off at the same time but died later when a Cyrealian stabbed her through her back, pinning her to a wall, before she was sucked out into space with the Cyrealian. Well her bottom half. I think part of her wound up in an escape pod with Brad. He is a combat model. And Veronica was shot in the leg then caught and eaten alive. Kaylee and I made it," Emily finished. Taking a momentary pause to think, she continued "Now that I say it all, it is kind of a lot to happen so quickly."</p><p>"Yeah, I'd say so." Sasha agreed still mentally catching up to what Emily had told her. "I bet none of the P-models made it." Sasha chuckled.</p><p>Emily knew the P-models had a deserved reputation at this point in her young life but was surprised when Sasha laughed. "Well, actually Jill and Courtney did. Well, Jill, did I guess."</p><p>"Oh P-605 Jill was with you. She is flying the recon teams in a shuttle right now. I saw her name as we planned that op. What about Courtney? You said that she made it but didn't."</p><p>"Well." Emily blushed remembering what had happened to Courtney. "Her fighter was damaged and she landed in the jungle with Andre and I."</p><p>"Oh yeah. Kendra directed her towards a pod that had landed near where she was going down. Kendra lost comms with her. We never knew what happened." Sasha remembered. "Things are falling into place now. What happened in the Jungle?"</p><p>"She...She uh...got eaten by a large pretty flower. And I don't think she minded." Emily said and looked to Sasha to see her reaction.</p><p>"Not surprised at all! We have lost so many P-models to the jungle. This planet is like a P-model fatal 'fun house'," Sasha laughed. "So she just walked up to it and fed herself to it then?"</p><p>"What!? No. It surprised her. It shot out sticky tendrils and stuck to her and pulled her in before slurping her down as she giggled and...had a grand ol' time." Emily paused before continuing. "Did you ask if she fed herself to it? How crazy are they?"</p><p>"Oh, girl you don't know the half of it!" Sasha started in, "I transferred in with the new P-models 6 months ago. The whole station was getting upgrades. I was installing new systems and stayed here to operate them when the Federation decided to increase the number of personnel on this planet." Sasha sat down in the shade next to the junction box they were working on and opened it up. "So we finally had new pilots. You know the girl Ps we have now. They were the replacements to the old P-models that everyone hated. That dude they cloned for the last P-model was a total douchebag and they were not even good at their jobs. For all their faults, these new P-models are so much better!" Emily could tell that Sasha genuinely thought highly of these new female P-models. " Anyway, we started to have some of them go missing. At first Commander Cyrus was like, well you know it is a dangerous jungle out there. Something unfortunate must have happened. He made a rule that they could not go out alone. They had to be in pairs. But we lost two pairs the next week. So at this point, we had 20 kestrels and 8 shuttles. We started out with 40 P-models. 12 extra for downtime off duty, etc. 10 had gone missing in the first 4 weeks leaving us with just 2 extra pilots." Sasha explained wide-eyed as she pulled out some wiring and an old crisped circuit board.</p><p>"Wow, so everything was peaceful and they were lost in the jungle then," Emily said as she handed the cutting torch to Sasha.</p><p>"Hahahaha! I am just getting started!" Sasha put on her goggles and lit the torch and started cutting. Emily turned again to shield her eyes and wondered what Sasha was going to say next.</p><p>Two minutes later Sasha had finished with the cutting torch and handed it back to Emily to put away. "So what else happened with the pilots here?" Emily asked. Her imagination had been running wild as she waited for Sasha to finish cutting.</p><p>Sasha started to pull old, burnt inner workings out to make way for the new parts as she continued her story "So Commander Cyrus had a full safety stand down and ordered the scout clones to hold a death by PowerPoint session to teach us all about the dangers of the jungle. We had some comm classes and basic first aid too. It was like a welcome aboard and jungle survival advanced class rolled into one for about two days. During that time no one was allowed to leave the compound."</p><p>"Sounds like he was doing everything he could to keep you safe," Emily stated.</p><p>"Yeah it was boring at times sitting there learning again what we already knew but we understood why." Sasha shrugged and hefted out a large piece of scorched hardware. "And all base personnel had to attend, even the non-clones. But what was interesting was during day two of the safety stand-downs, I was at the communications monitor when he made his weekly report. Apparently, every station on this planet had lost at least a few P-models, some more than others. The Orbital station was the exception. But they said that this was a Federation wide phenomenon. Commander Cyrus even asked for some verification on this. What we got back was that Federation wide, all P-models had an inexplicably high mortality rate for unknown causes."</p><p>"Wow, so the Federation had no idea what they were getting into when they made these new clones then!" Emily exclaimed. "Hey, it looks like you are about done removing the old burnt parts. Want me to hand you the new components now?"</p><p>"Yeah but let's just get this one in first and send the message before we install the rest," Sasha said holding up the data burst modulator. Sasha picked up a wrench and two bolts and started to mount it into the junction box. "So after the base commander realized that it was a problem with the P-models and not everyone and that the Federation had already noted the issue, he asked for more P-models. The Admiral in charge of this sector said that he would send 20 new P-models within the week to Station 2 and the other stations would also be getting replacements as well for the ones they had lost...and expected to lose. And to expect delivery of some replacement P-models every two weeks or so." Emily raised an eyebrow at that last bit. Sasha grinned, "Yeah you heard that right. But since the problem was known and was being handled off-world by the Federation, off-duty liberty to go to the jungle was restored the next day."</p><p>"So just like that then?" Emily said standing there as neither girl was working at this point.</p><p>"Well we had to stay in groups and take a combat model with us but yes. Several of us clones and volunteers all were dying to get some new clothes from green vines...um…I can explain that later I guess."</p><p>"Oh, I am familiar with them! Got an outfit already actually!" Emily blushed at the memory of how she got the outfit.</p><p>"Oh, ok then!" Sasha said before continuing her tale. "We got to a place just a little way into the jungle to the west and found the two P models. The ones that went missing a few days before. Funny thing is that we may have saved them if we didn't have the two-day safety brief. But by then it was too late to get them out." Sasha leaned in and said "We all knew then that they had to have done it on purpose. They knew how these vines worked and we used this patch all the time. And if someone gets caught in one we can easily cut them out. For two of them to get stuck means that they had wanted it to happen."</p><p>"Are you sure it was on purpose?" Emily inquired intrigued now.</p><p>"Well, the vines are nearly clear. So we knew it was them. They had just barely started to melt. But laying close by were their uniforms. That had taken their clothes off before getting stuck to the vines, and folded them and placed them on the ground." Shasha had lowered her voice for effect. "One look at the four other P-models that had come with us that day and I knew. The way they looked at the two hanging there; I knew they were thinking about joining them sooner or later."</p><p>"Boo!" Kaylee yelled, and dropped the last few steps off the ladder, landing next to Emily and Sasha.</p><p>"OMG! Kaylee!" Shouted Emily</p><p>"You scared the crap out of us!" Sasha said still reeling from the shock.</p><p>"Haha, it was a perfect setup! You two were telling ghost stories about P-models feeding themselves to jungle plants and such, and not paying attention!" Kaylee laughed at them.</p><p>"It is true! You have to order those bimbos to stay alive!" Sasha claimed.</p><p>"Yeah, whatever. I know they are not exactly afraid of getting killed. But out of the blue like that, no way!" Kaylee said.</p><p>"Kaylee, Pest did say something about that to me in the gear locker back on the ship. I think this might be true. What did the Head Quarters say to Commander Cyrus about the... 'Problem'?" Emily turned to Sasha as she spoke.</p><p>"They told him to order the P models to stay alive," Sasha said.</p><p>"Did it work?" Emily asked.</p><p>"Kinda. The disappearances slowed down considerably. We did still lose a few, however." Sasha answered.</p><p>"That is too weird!" Kaylee said after listening to the conversation. "However, I am done with the coupling up at the top. The Comms array is ready to transmit soon as we get this fixed down here."</p><p>"Good! Let's get this finished then." Sasha walked over to the junction box and bent down. "All I need to do is hook up these wires at the base. Emily, can you hook up the output wires for me?"</p><p>"Sure. no problem." Emily said and picked up a set of wire strippers.</p><p>"I can get the rest of the components laid out with the bolts ready and wires pre-staged so it goes faster installing everything else after we send that data burst." Kaylee started to pull the other components of communications hardware out of the crate and began laying them out while Emily and Sasha finished hooking up the wires.</p><p>Soon they were finished and Sasha spoke, "Hey Kaylee, go let Hrothgar know we can send that message now. Emily and I will stay up here and see that it works alright. Soon as it is done we will start installing the rest of the comms."</p><p>"You got it!" Kaylee bounded off across the roof to the elevator.</p><p>Sasha flipped the main breaker switch inside the junction box before closing it then stepping back. "Well let's see if this works."</p><p>How will we know?" asked Emily.</p><p>"Well if we did it right nothing will happen except a small blue flashing light at the top. If we did it wrong there will be no flashing blue light. If we did it really wrong, expect lots of sparks!" Both of them chuckled.</p><p>About that time they could hear some more engines from a shuttle approaching. "That has to be the recon team shuttle. It will go back and get them in about two hours," Emily said.</p><p>"Yeah, the three shuttles up north are not due back for several hours yet. That is where Jacob is." Sasha shrugged.</p><p>"Who is Jacob?" inquired Emily.</p><p>"Oh, that is the CA model I am dating. We sneak up here on the roof sometimes at night." Sasha winked at her friend, before turning to watch the shuttle land. Soon the shuttle was rolled inside the hanger and out of sight.</p><p>"Well, any minute now-" Emily was cut off by a loud roar that echoed over the jungle. Both girls turned around to see a massive four-winged pterodactyl with a squid-like head flying straight toward them.</p><p>"Run!" Sasha yelled and took off to the elevator at a full sprint. Emily raced to keep up with her. Getting there they both hit the button repeatedly willing it to hurry. "Come on come on come on! Get here!"</p><p>"Kaylee went all the way to sub-level one to see Hrothgar as we told her! The elevator is not coming back in time!" Emily took off to look for cover as the beast landed on the roof and made a low hungry growl at them! "I guess they are dangerous then!?"</p><p>Sprinting to the other side of the elevator housing unit, Sasha called out. "Yeah, they eat 20 to 60 greenotangs a day normally! Yeah, that makes them dangerous!"</p><p>The Pterosquid looked directly at Emily and started to walk towards her. It was using its front set of wings folded into front arms as it crawled on all fours. It made another low bellow and its dozen or more tentacles quivered as they reached toward Emily. Her hiding spot was not working.</p><p>Just then a blue light started blinking and made a beeping sound. The Pterosquid turned its massive head surprisingly quickly and roared at the tower. "Sasha the transmission is starting! How long will it take?"</p><p>"Uh...30 seconds to a minute depending on how much data is being sent." Sasha peered around the corner.</p><p>Both girls saw the Pterosquid wrap its powerful tentacles around the tower. "Noooo!" Emily cried out. Just before a few small plasma shots hit the creature. Emily turned to see Sasha had a plasma pistol and was shooting at the beast.</p><p>Quickly the beast lost interest in the beeping blue light on the tower. It was full of rage now and let out a deafening roar and flapped its four wings at once and leaped over to where Sasha was.</p><p>Sasha let out a scream and threw the pistol to Emily. Emily picked it up as Sasha ducked under some pipes and conduit. The Pterosquid wrapped a long tentacle around Sasha's leg and pulled her from her hiding spot. It lifted her upside down in the air in front of its face. Emily shot and hit the beast in the side of the head twice and took off running knowing that the beast would give chase.</p><p>The beast let out a high-pitched shriek of pain as it shrugged off the two hits. It let Sasha drop and turned to see Emily running away. Emily ran from it and the tower toward the edge of the roof! Getting to the edge she turned to face the creature and fired a few more shots as it rushed toward her.</p><p>"We have to keep it distracted until the data burst is finished!" Sasha yelled springing to her feet behind the beast. Then running to jump on its back, Sasha stabbed it with her knife while Emily shot it. The beast spun around and swept its wings over Emily's head as she ducked almost getting knocked off the roof. The Pterosquid bucked hard and threw Sasha from its back. She landed next to Emily who helped her to her feet. Finishing its spin the Pterosquid came face to face with both the girls at the edge of the rooftop.</p><p>The elevator dinged at that moment distracting the creature yet again. Sasha took off running to her left and Emily ran to the right and started to shoot at the Pterosquid as she ran.</p><p>A voice called out from the other side of the elevator housing. "Hello?! What is going on up here?" The person getting off the elevator couldn't see the girls or the Pterosquid because the opening was facing towards the tower away from the battle.</p><p>"Pterosquid!" yelled Sasha, as the beast rounded the corner to see someone dive back into the elevator.</p><p>Emily hit the creature in the side and the right-wing with shots from the plasma pistol. The beast looked at her, determined to stop this painful nuisance.</p><p>With a loud roar, the Pterosquid took flight and swept over the roof, covering the distance to Emily as she made it to the corner of the building with nowhere left to go. Seeing that she was cornered she fired her pistol at the beast bearing down on her at speed. At the last moment, she leaped backward off the edge of the building, continuing to shoot at the incoming predator. The Pterosquid made it to the edge of the building as Emily started to fall towards the ground still shooting up at her attacker. With lightning reflexes, the Pterosquid snatched Emily out of the air with its long powerful tentacles. With a few beats of its four mighty wings, the creature was flying away from Station 2 with Emily firmly in its grasp.</p><p>Emily was shocked that the Petrosquid had managed to snatch her out of the air like that. She figured that she would be falling to her death right now about to splat on the concrete below. She had hoped to distract the predator just long enough to send valuable information to the Federation's fleet that was on its way to war. Now she was being carried off by a large flying predator.</p><p>One of the Pterosquid's tentacles coiled around her waist and gave a powerful squeeze forcing the air out of her lungs. The other tentacles went to work trying to find the weapon she had been using. Forcing it from her grasp, the plasma pistol fell to the jungle below as the beast flew further from the station.</p><p>Desperately trying to free herself Emily kicked her legs wildly at the animal. Aiming her heels at its circular maw she kicked it forcefully. Seeming to have an effect, the creature shuddered and moved her around. Instantly tentacles wrapped around her legs and still more explored her hiking shoes. She couldn't tell if the Pterosquid thought the shoes were another type of weapon or not, but quickly she found herself barefoot. Still, she kicked and tried to punch at the beast holding her.</p><p>Clearly growing tired of its meal's incessant struggles, the Pterosquid reached its tongue out and lapped at Emily. It wrapped around her neck and pulled her head into its mouth. With her head in its mouth, the giant creature ripped away her black tank top and khaki shorts. Quickly sucking her lean body down like a strand of spaghetti. Emily's arms were pinned to her side by her new fleshy confines. The insides of the Pterosquid's throat were tight, hot, and slimy. The creature's neck muscles undulated and squeezed her down further toward the stomach with a powerful rippling massage motion.</p><p>Emily had no idea what to do now. She was trapped and starting to enter the stomach. The events of the last few minutes played back in her head.</p><p>Had she made the right decisions? Sasha seemed to have lived. The person at the elevator had lived. Maybe she and Sasha should have gone down to the briefing room with Kaylee. No, then the Pterosquid would have just taken out the tower and the whole mission would have been a failure.</p><p>That was what she was here for right? To complete missions for the Federation that were too dangerous for nonclones. Her mind raced as she fully slipped into the creature's stomach. It was a large cavity. She could hear the creature's heartbeat. She could feel the muscles flex around her as the wings flapped. Although the stomach was big she didn't have much room. It was full of other bodies. She reached out to feel one in the dark and noticed its four arms. Must have been a greenotang.</p><p>Her lungs started to burn. She was running out of air. Had she done well? Was this really her end? She had been woken up to make sure the data drives made it to the surface so Station 2 could send the mission-critical information to the fleet. She even took out an enemy warship on the way. With that, Emily decided to feel accomplished. She had protected her mission to the end and saw that it was successful. She became a bit woozy now from the lack of air. She could feel the wingbeats of the creature churning her in with the rest of the greenotang bodies in its stomach.</p><p>Slowly she started to lose consciousness. Soon she would be nothing more than calories and the Federation would continue without her. She had done her job well, she decided with the last of her brainpower. Emily slipped away into oblivion as her body started to digest in the creature's stomach.</p><p>Beep...Beep….Beep….Booooop</p><p>Clunk...click….hissss.</p><p>A male computer-generated voice introduced itself. "Welcome to the F.S.S. Manila, T-481 Erica. You can call me Manny."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This will be a six-part story. My wife challenged me to write something so I did. This is the result. It was fun and now I may start writing more. <br/>Hope you like it. Please let me know what you think. Positive or negative. Also, feel free to make any requests. <br/>Enjoy the Story!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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